Of Vampires and Men
by bored-now0809
Summary: Finally Completed! Third part in the Turned Trilogy. Please read the other two parts first! Buffy and the gang have to face some serious choices about the future while old enemies reemerge
1. Chapter 1

AN: Yeah the story is finally started. I had a hard time getting this one started because i was unsure about the direction i wanted it to take. But I actually have a lot of it outlined so now i have to get typing it. AS always please review! I love to hear from you :)   
  
Of Vampires and Men  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Daddy?" Buffy repeated shocked to see her father there. They had tried to contact him about the "wedding" but were told that he was out of the country. "What are you doing here?" She blurted out and Hank Summers smiled sheepishly at her.  
  
"Well Buffy, I heard that you dropped out of school." He gave her a disappointed look before turning to Joyce. "I can't believe that you would let her do something like that. But I've come to get custody."  
  
The room was thrown into silence. Joyce leaned unsteadily against the back of a chair and glared at Hank, thinking of all the time that he spent ignoring both her and Buffy. Just as she was about to respond, Buffy answered.  
  
"I'm not going with you Dad." She said quietly and Hank spun around to face her.  
  
"We'll let the court decide that sweetie."   
  
"But, I'm married now. I can't just leave my husband." Buffy looked at the surprise in Hank's face and sighed. "We tried to reach you. I called you office about fifty times and they always said you were busy." Hank turned and studied Spike, whose hand Buffy was desperately clutching.   
  
"Is this…this punk your husband?!" Hank exclaimed. He turned to Joyce in a fury. "You let her drop out of school and then marry some Billy Idol groupie! I can't believe you Joyce!"  
  
"You can't believe her?" Spike yelled unable to control himself. "Joyce took great care of Buffy and everyone else around here for that matter. Where have you been the last two years?!"   
  
"How dare you talk to me like that? Hasn't anyone told you to respect your elders?" Hank glared at Spike, but Spike refused to back down. He snorted at Mr. Summers.  
  
"Elders? Oh that is rich mate." Spike couldn't contain his chuckle and was about to enlighten Hank, when Joyce stepped in.  
  
"I think it's best that you leave Hank." She said. Hank looked at her in surprise and opened his mouth to reply. "Don't say anything. Either you leave now or I call the police and have you arrested for trespassing." Joyce looked at him steadily and Hank finally backed down.   
  
"This isn't the end of this you know." He turned and walked to the front door. "I'll be back and you'll have to settle all this in court. What kind of judge would let you keep her with the choices you've made recently?" He gave Joyce a sardonic look and left. Joyce turned shakily to face Buffy and Spike.  
  
"Well you two…it looks like you're going to have to postpone the honeymoon for a little bit." She tried to smile at them but tears soon clouded her eyes. Buffy moved over and gave her mother a quick hug and a watery smile.  
  
"It's ok mom. We've got plenty of time for that." Buffy tried to grin at her mom. "Vampires, remember?" And with that Joyce broke down crying with Buffy not that far behind her. Spike went over and picked Buffy up and began to carry her up the stairs while the others were left to console Joyce.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The vampires of Sunnydale were giddy with excitement. Tonight the Hellmouth and all its playthings would be left unguarded. It was like a dream come true for the fledglings that were used to having four people patrolling their hunting grounds. Tonight they would bathe in blood…the streets would not be safe.  
  
"Hey Bruce look at that girl over there!" Leonard called out to his sire. He had spotted a ripe one all fresh for the plucking…  
  
"Good. Very good." Bruce replied with an evil look on his vampiric features. "Let's go." And they approached her not expecting a fight when…  
  
The girl spun around and staked Leonard without saying a word.   
  
"What are you? What are you doing?" Bruce exclaimed outraged. That was his favorite minion. The girl's expression never changed. She advanced on Bruce with a purpose- his death. She lashed out at Bruce and he responded quickly. "Great just what this town needs- another Slayer." She never responded. Bruce would have thought that she was a robot except he could hear her heart beat.   
  
The fight continued. The only sounds that came from the two were Bruce's taunts and the Slayer's harsh breathing. Finally she found her opening and staked the vampire. He looked at her with a surprised expression on his face and crumbled to dust. Then from behind a mausoleum, a woman in a tweed jacket emerged.   
  
"That was a very impressive display Kennedy." She said to the Slayer. Kennedy merely nods her head in response and Andrea-the Watcher-sighs in frustration. "We'll report in to Mr. Giles tomorrow. I'm sure that he'll have plenty of work for you to do."  
  
"Good." Kennedy replied in a low voice. "The more I kill the better." She quickly turned to find more unsuspecting vampires in the cemetery with Andrea close behind.  
  
As Andrea watched Kennedy slay without uttering a single word or changing facial expression she was glad that Buffy and Spike were out of town. Her slayer did not seem to understand that although they were vampires, they were allies in the fight against evil. She would have to have Mr. Giles explain that once they met up with him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He arrived in Sunnydale and looked around contemptuously at all that met his gaze. Running a hand through his greasy hair he frowned. Being on the run really made your personal upkeep suffer. He spotted a bar and decided to go in for a quick drink before finding a place to stay.  
  
The bar was dirty, but they usually were around the docks. Shrugging his shoulders, he sat down at the bar and ordered a beer. Turning up his nose slightly at the American beer before him he slowly drank.  
  
"Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?" The man next to him inquired. He was wearing a uniform for the Sunnydale Inn. The man frowned.  
  
"No sorry." He said quickly but that still gave away his British accent.  
  
"Yeah! I remember you! You were here a couple of weeks ago with those other British guys. You're, uh, Mr. Chamers!" The hotel clerk sat back in his chair proudly. "I never forget a face." Chamers remained cool on the outside but on the inside he was panicking. What was he going to do? He couldn't leave someone alive who knew that he was in town. There was really only one solution.  
  
"Hmmm. Yes. You're right. Can I buy you a drink?" The clerk grinned widely. Free alcohol was always good.   
  
"Sure thanks." And they sat chatting about nothing in particular until the hotel clerk looked at his watch and frowned. "Well, thanks for the drink. I'd better get home."  
  
Chamers nodded and watched the clerk leave the bar. He left a moment after and followed him down an alley. Chamers pushed the man from behind into the wall and pressed him firmly into the dirty bricks of the alley wall.  
  
"Sorry mate." Chamers said in a dangerous voice. "But I just can't let anyone know that I'm back in town." He pulled out a gun with a silencer in place and pressed it to the clerk's head. "You understand of course. Nothing personal." And then the clerk slumped to the floor as Chamers released his hold. Chamers kicked the body and left leaving on the bullet lodged in the clerk's brain behind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An: Just a little note...In the last story (the coucil of Wankers) i made Kennedy the new slayer. BUT i changed her character a lot because that was what I was looking for but since i had already called her kennedy i didnt want to change that make a plot hole. So this is Kennedy excpet she's alternate universe Kennedy. I am assuming that she changed a lot since she was called. (Cop out I know) 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Buffy awoke to the sensation of a strong hand gently caressing her check. She smiled and heard Spike chuckle beside her. Trying to pretend to still be asleep she quickly stopped smiling. Spike chuckled again.  
  
"I know you're awake pet." He said and she slowly opened her eyes to give him a mock glare.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You're so smart." She replied sarcastically and rolled on her side to face him.  
  
"Get a good night sleep, luv?" Buffy nodded slowly a frown creasing her forehead as she remembered the fight with her dad. Impulsively she hugged Spike tightly.  
  
"I love you so much." She whispered. Pulling away from him Buffy looked up at seriously. "What would I ever do without you?" Spike petted her hair soothingly with a small frown on his face.  
  
"What do you mean love?"  
  
"It's just my dad. Last night. God Spike! He didn't even know when I was a Slayer, how is he going to deal with me being a creature of the night?" Buffy paused and looked at Spike who seemed to be working out a complicated equation in his head. Buffy leaned up and kissed him briefly. "And what about my graduation? I don't think that I'm going to be able to make it this year. With all the kidnappings and torturings I've fallen behind in my night classes." Buffy looked down for a moment and then back up at Spike. "I'm just trying to say in my own roundabout way that I love you so much and that you are the best part of my life."  
  
"Oh pet." Spike leaned down to kiss her but before it could get too passionate he pulled away. Buffy pouted at him and Spike reached up to traced the line of her lip. "No fair, ducks. I wanted to talk seriously for a moment." He paused and looked at the ceiling for a moment and Buffy could sense that he was thinking about some serious things. "I didn't know that you still thought about graduating? That's still important to you?"   
  
"Yeah." Buffy answered not meeting his eyes. Spike tilted her head up slowly.  
  
"Why does that matter now?" She met his gaze as she tried to sort out her thoughts.  
  
"It's just. I don't know. The last part of me that can be just Buffy. Not Slayer, not even turned Slayer. Just Buffy. You know what I mean?"  
  
"Yeah. I get that." Spike hesitated before speaking again. "But you can be just Buffy with me you know?" She nodded and smiled at him. "If we left here you could be just Buffy forever." He whispered. She looked at him sadly.  
  
"I can't leave them. I can't just…" Spike pulled her close.  
  
"Shhh pet. I understand. I know." They sat together quietly before Spike began again. "Don't worry about your Dad, luv. He loves you and everything will be fine. I mean look at your mum! She must have taken it well." Buffy looked at him disbelieving.  
  
"You were there when she found out. After you left she kicked me out of the house and I ran away to LA!" Buffy giggled at the shocked look on his face.  
  
"Joyce kicked you out?" Spike asked dumbfounded.  
  
"It was a while ago. We both got over it." Buffy said sincerely. Spike looked at her in amazement.   
  
"Did I ever tell you are the most amazing person I've ever met Buffy?" He said in a shy voice. Buffy reached up to stroke his check.   
  
"Once or twice." She leaned up and gave him a small kiss. "You're the amazing one though." Spike grinned at her.  
  
"You know if you are bloody well serious about that graduating thing you can always use the next few weeks studying for the GED. I mean we have it arranged with Faith and Angel to watch the Hellmouth and all. Not the ideal honeymoon grant you but we can do that…later." Buffy pulled him down and hugged him tightly. Without answering she kissed him passionately and Spike smiled against her lips. He'd take that as a yes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"…I mean when you think about this whole mess is really my fault." Angel said for the fifth time and Faith rolled her eyes for the fourth. "If I hadn't lost my soul then turned Buffy this whole thing would have never happened…"   
  
Faith tuned him out while she twirled her stake absently and did something she hadn't done in a while. Pray. Granted she was praying for a demon to fight, but still. Glancing up at Angel she saw that his lips were still moving which meant one thing: he was STILL talking about Buffy's dad. Good Lord! The man could brood that was for sure.  
  
"…And you know all I wanted for Buffy to be. To warm her heart with my own."  
  
"OK that is it! That was super gross and that is all I can take." Angel looked at her in surprise. "This is not your fault. First off, Buffy's Dad hasn't known anything about her life for the past two years. And whose fault is that? His! And know Buffy and Joyce and even Spike are going to have to suffer. And then he will once they tell him the truth." Faith turned to look at him seriously. "You don't really enter that equation."   
  
Angel slowly contemplated Faith's words feeling slightly better. It wasn't entirely his fault after all…but still. There had to be something he could to make it easier for Buffy, Joyce, and Spike. He didn't really care about making it easier for Hank.  
  
"I'm going to go and talk to him Faith. Maybe there's some way that I can make it easier for the rest of them." Faith snorted.  
  
"That is one harebrained idea. You should just leave it alone."  
  
"No. Can you handle the rest of patrol tonight?"   
  
"Sure whatever. Don't take my well thought out advice. Ruin your unlife. See what I care." Faith exclaimed sarcastically and stomped off in a desperate search for demons.  
  
Angel began to walk to the entrance of the cemetery and search for the hotel that Hank for staying at when suddenly a girl jumped in front of him in a fighting stance, blocking his path.   
  
"Excuse me." Angel said politely and moved to walk around her. She attacked without a word. Angel quickly put two and two together and realized that she was the Slayer that was called once he turned Buffy. "I really don't want to fight you!" Angel said and began to get more frustrated when she didn't respond in any way except to swing another punch. "Listen! I have a soul! I'm good!"   
  
Angel yelled trying to get through to her while blocking her attacks. Finally he had enough and knocked her to the ground. Kennedy looked up from her fall and the vampire that she had been fighting was nowhere in sight. She frowned and went back to report to her watcher.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Andrea turned as Kennedy entered the room. She looked upset, which was an improvement since she usually showed no emotion at all.  
  
"So, tell me about your rounds tonight." Andrea began and Kennedy began to tell her of the fledglings that she had found and dusted. Then she mentioned the vampire that got away.  
  
"He claimed to be good. He said that he did not want to fight me." Kennedy snorted. "He was just like all the rest." Andrea raised her eyebrow.  
  
"That was probably Spike. He is a good vampire dear. He has been helping out the Buffy and Faith here for a while, ever since the Angelus incident. What did he look like?" Kennedy looked at her Watcher skeptically before replying.  
  
"He was tall and rather bulky. He had dark hair and dark eyes and his hair stood straight up." Andrea chuckled at the description.  
  
"Well, I would like you to avoid attacking him in the future Kennedy. Not only does he fight for our side but he is a very effective fighter and if you press him, he might accidentally hurt you trying to get away." Kennedy was silent for a moment before sighing.  
  
"Fine. Whatever you say Ms. Wilson." Andrea smiled at her and patter Kennedy's arm.  
  
"I would like you to meet someone who has been fighting demons here on the hellmouth for the past three years." There was a knock at the door and Andrea got up to answer it. She mumbled a few hellos with the person on the other side before they turned around to greet Kennedy. "This is Rupert Giles. Ms. Summers' Watcher." Giles stepped forwards and nodded to her.  
  
"Hello. Pleasure to meet you."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Yes, it's Hank...Well you told me to keep you informed…She's resisting. It's just like you said it would be, it's like she doesn't even care about our Buffy's future…No…well…ok…I'll let you know how things progress."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chamers hung up the phone with an evil grin lighting up his face. He could never be able to seek his revenge in an all out fight with Buffy and Spike. But maybe this latest ploy would distract them enough so that he could get a clear shot at them.  
  
And if not, well, it would definitely make them miserable.  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
Well i didnt get any reviews for the last chapter :( but i really want to get this out there even if no one else if going to read it. I will admit that the beginning is a little slow...but please stick with me! It gets better! Please review! 


	3. Chapter 3

Ok. I stink. I totally meant to get this written about a month ago but I got in a very blah place where i just felt like reading and couln't motivate myself to write. Thanks to my reviewers. I would have put it off even longer if you guys hadn't reviewed! I hope that you are still reading and haven't given up on this series because I will definately finish it up.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Buffy sat on the living room floor frowning at the book in front of her. It was going to take a lot of work to pass this GED test she realized as she tried to cram in the last few months of high school into two weeks. Spike grinned at her from the doorway, silently watching her highlight her books and tapped her pencil on the table. She was cute when she was tense.   
  
"Here pet. I heated up a nice cuppa." He said walking over to her side when it looked like she was about to snap the pencil in half. She looked up at him gratefully.  
  
"You're the best, you know that?" He smiled at her and sat behind her on the couch after handing her the mug of blood.  
  
"I know. But I like it when you tell me. Although, I really like it when you tell me when you're naked luv." Buffy turned around to give him a little scowl but couldn't help giggling at the smug smirk on his face. She turned back to the books and Spike reached out to rub her shoulders. "How's the studying going ducks?" He asked.   
  
"Let's just say that you are the definitely the brains between the two of us." Buffy answered. Spike leaned over and kissed her head.   
  
"Just try not to let it get to you. You are a brilliant girl and now you have time to take advantage of that." Buffy turned around to face him, touched at his faith in her. She leaned up and gave him a loving kiss, reminding herself that her mother was in the kitchen making dinner. Just as their lips connected the front door opened and quickly closed.   
  
"What is going on here?" Hank exclaimed when he saw Buffy and Spike kissing.   
  
"Dad? What are you doing here?" Buffy asked slowly getting to your feet.  
  
"What do you mean what am I doing here? I'm your father! Why is this hoodlum doing obscene things to you in your mother's house?!" Buffy rolled her eyes and promptly took Spike's hand. But before she could answer Joyce came out of the kitchen glaring daggers at her ex-husband.  
  
"That's right it is my house and I don't mind Spike being here at all." She said. Hank's mouth hung open in surprise but he quickly recovered.  
  
"I just want Buffy to have a happy life. Go to her graduation with the rest of her friends and try to have sometime of high school normalcy." Hank protested causing Joyce and Spike to exchange a look.   
  
"I just want Buffy to be happy." Joyce countered and gave Hank a hard look. "I know that it looks bad that she is awfully young to be married. But Spike has been there for her when she was going through some very hard things. They truly love each other and I for one am not going to stand between them." Joyce was firm and Spike looked at her gratefully. But Hank was far from satisfied.   
  
"How can you just let her give up on everything so easily? I can see that it was wrong to-"   
  
"I'm a vampire!" Buffy yelled tired of the fighting between her parents. Everyone stopped their yelling and glaring and looked at her. Buffy opened her mouth to try to say more, but couldn't think of anything else to say so she ran out the backdoor to the porch. Spike nodded at Joyce and put a hand on her arm in an effort to reassure her and then quickly followed after Buffy.  
  
"Well pet, I don't think that was exactly how you were planning on telling him about what happened but it was rather effective." Spike said while sitting down next to Buffy. He wrapped his arm around her and she leaned into his embrace.  
  
"I wish I could talk to him but I don't know. He just wouldn't understand. I mean it was hard enough for mom and she saw me everyday."  
  
"Don't worry, love. We'll work it out. We always do. Everything works out in the end, some bloody way or another." Buffy looked up at him seriously.  
  
"Yeah the bloody is sorta what I'm worried about." He gives her a lopsided grin but before he can answer Angel and Faith walk up.  
  
"Hey, hey, break it up you two." Faith says smiling at them. They do look good together. Buffy and Spike turned to look at them and smile.  
  
"Hey. What are you guys doing over here? I thought that you were out on patrol. No evil vampires to slay over here." Buffy said and Faith couldn't help but laugh, her Slayer senses contradicting the truth in Buffy's words. Buffy smiled knowing how Faith's Slayerness was acting up.  
  
"Actually, it's about the new Slayer." Angel interjected. "She attacked me last night and I think that she might not really care that we have souls. Or at least Buffy and I have souls and Spike is…"   
  
"Good?" Buffy asked when Angel didn't finish his sentence. Spike looked at her in shock.  
  
"I'm not good! You take that back." The other three merely gave him a look and he sighed. "No respect." Spike muttered and Buffy punched him in the arm.  
  
"You're all crazy!" Hank yelled at Joyce. "You're feeding her delusions. This is just like before after Hemry!"  
  
"She's not crazy Hank." Joyce said as calmly as possible.  
  
"She says she's a vampire, Joyce. How can you say that she's not crazy?"   
  
"Well. Because she is a vampire." Joyce said and Hank looked at her shock.   
  
"I have to get out here before you all turn me crazy too!" Before he could leave, Buffy and Spike walked back in with Angel and Faith close behind them. "Well who're they?" Hank asked.  
  
"Dad. This is Faith and Angel." Buffy paused. "They were at the wedding." She added and silence stretched out between the group. No one really knew what to talk about with Buffy's dad around. Just then the doorbell rang and Faith let a breath of relief, thankful for the distraction. Joyce hurried to answer door.   
  
"Hello Rupert. I'm VERY glad that you showed up…" She trailed off as she saw the two women behind him. One looked to be a few years younger than Buffy and the other was about her own age. Giles stepped in the house and took in the tense scene. He sighed internally and gestured for the two women to come in.   
  
"Ah. Yes. Good. You're all here." Giles said somewhat sarcastically while looking at Hank. "This is Kennedy Highbury and Andrea Wilson." Giles gave Buffy a meaningful look. "Andrea just arrived from England."  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Willow slowly turned the pages of her Vocabulary book trying to find the correct answer to an analogy that she was working on. She, Xander, Oz, and Cordelia had all opted to study in the library tonight and take a night off from the supernatural.  
  
"I wonder what's happening in the Slayer world." Xander speculated while staring blankly at his math book.   
  
"Who cares?" Cordy asked and slammed her book shut. "The world's not ending and we have SATs soon." Xander shrugs and looks back down at his math book trying to pound the basics of geometry into his head. Willow groans and begins to float an answer book over from the other table. Oz gives her a look.  
  
"What?" Willow asks turning the book over.  
  
"You're using too much Will." He said quietly and she waved her hand at him dismissing his concern.  
  
"Don't worry about me Oz. It's nothing I can't handle. And besides," Willow grinned at him, "I can handle it."  
  
"You shouldn't treat supernatural forces so casually." He frowned and Willow frowned back.  
  
"I'm responsible. I can take care of myself. Don't worry so much." She assured him. Oz nodded his head, not really wanting to get into it anymore in front of Xander and Cordelia.  
  
"So what are you guys going to do about college?" Cordelia asked in an effort to diffuse the tense silence.  
  
"Oh you know. College of pizza delivery for me!" Xander joked. "What brought that up Cordy?"  
  
"Mr. Summers. He was talking about the future and what we're going to be doing with our lives and I only know one thing. I want out of Sunnydale." She said and the others looked at her a little surprised.  
  
"Well I don't want to desert Buffy. I mean she's sorta stuck in the 'whole save the world business' and I mean it's a good business. I want to stay and help." Willow answered.  
  
"That's all and good but you do realize that we will eventually desert Buffy." Cordelia said.  
  
"What? No we won't-" Xander started.  
  
"Of course we will. She's a vampire. She's going to live forever and we're all going to die. We might as well do what we want and be happy because she's looking at eternity here and we're not going to be around forever." Cordelia said and turned back to her book. The others sat there quietly thinking about what she said. Concentrating on their schoolwork was impossible now. They had hard choices in front of them. Choices that would determine the direction their lives would take.  
  
*~*~*~**~  
  
As always please review. It really motivates me to write more!   
  
Also, I was working on some other stuff (Sorta shorter stories) and was wondering if there was any interest. One is a Buffy/William that will evolve into Buffy/Spike and the other is an AU that is a sorta post-chosen but with Normal Again overtones. Ok. Those are my crappy summaries. Let me know if you are interested in that and what you think of this story! As always suggestions are welcome :) 


	4. Chapter 4

Hey here is the next chapter! much faster than before ;)   
  
I will also try to get my post-chosen fic up...it is finished but I wanted to make some more progress on this one and see if there was any interest!  
  
As always keep the reviews coming and thanks to those of you who also read my ramblings :)  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"Who are all these people and why are they visiting you so late at night!" Hank exclaimed, totally appalled at the way Joyce was raising Buffy. "Maybe this is why she's not in school anymore Joyce. I mean they way you let her do whatever she wants no matter how detrimental it will be to her future. Consorting with strange men at all hours of the night…"   
  
"Listen Hank." Joyce yelled losing her calm at Hank's superior attitude. "We haven't heard from you in who knows how long and now you SUDDENLY develop this interest in what Buffy's doing and who her friends are! Weren't you listening before? To what Buffy said?" Joyce crossed her arms and glared at Hank while the other shifted uncomfortably on their feet. Spike couldn't help but smirk as she told her ex off.   
  
"You're just feeding her delusion Joyce. How can you do that? Let her believe that she's some sort of…some sort of monster?"   
  
"I'm not feeding anything Hank. I've been here. Taking care of our daughter for the past three years. Where've you been?" Hank glared at her unable to think up a response quickly and Giles walked over to Joyce and took her hand in his to lend her his support. Hank's face turned red and the others can tell he is about to start yelling again.  
  
"Look why don't we all sit down and talk about this rationally." Angel says.  
  
"Fine." Hank spits out without taking his eyes off of Joyce and Giles. They move to the living room and Kennedy pulls out a stake as she recognizes Angel from the night before. She raises her arm, about to attack, but Andrea shakes her head at her and Kennedy reluctantly lowers her stake. Faith noticed the exchange and smirks at the younger slayer.  
  
"Mr. Summers, I understand your concern about Buffy having delusions and being crazy, but I can assure you that she's not." Angel took a deep breath and went on. "I'm the vampire who turned her." Angel said steadily, his calm voice belying the shame and tension he felt saying that.   
  
"Preposterous!" Hank started, but his objections where stopped as Kennedy and Andrea leapt up. Kennedy moved to attack Angel but he deflected her blows much as he did the night before.  
  
"Mr. Giles really! What is Angelus doing here?" Andrea asked shocked that they would allow him to associate with them after turning Buffy. Faith moved to subdue Kennedy and eventually she and Angel were able to knock her stake to the ground and get a hold on her.  
  
"Please. Kennedy, Andrea, calm down and I will explain." Reluctantly Andrea sat down and Faith pushed Kennedy down beside the older woman on the couch, but Faith remained close in case the younger Slayer decided to attack again. "When Angel turned Buffy, he had lost his soul. In fact all of his evil behavior was due to his lack of soul. We returned his soul and I can assure you that Angel is a valuable ally."   
  
Kennedy looked around at the group of people gathered around. They were defending a vampire who had turned a Slayer. She jumped up to attack again and Faith pushed her back down on the couch. Kennedy glared up at the older girl and Faith glared right back at her.   
  
"You all are crazy!" Hank exclaimed slowly getting up from his seat and looking warily at them. Kennedy took the momentary distraction to side step Faith and jump at Angel again. Buffy jumped up and vamped out at her.  
  
"Stop it!" Buffy yells at the younger girl and she promptly drops her stake to the ground and her attack stops. Andrea stands up a little bit surprised at how well Kennedy listened to Buffy.   
  
"I believe it is time for us to leave." Andrea informed them. She moved over to Kennedy and took the younger girl's arm. "Until tomorrow." She said to Giles and they quickly exited the Summers' house.  
  
"Well, I guess that I should go too..." Faith began but was interrupted by Hank making a choking noise in the back of his throat.  
  
"What was that?" He bellowed gesturing to Buffy who had returned to her normal features. Spike glared at Hank and put his arm around Buffy. She was already subconscious enough about her vampire features.   
  
"What do you think that we've been trying to tell you?" Joyce exclaimed totally fed up with her ex-husband. She and Giles shared a look. "Buffy's a vampire." Joyce followed up calmly.  
  
"I don't have to stand here and listen to any more of this nonsense!" Hank yelled and slammed out of the house. Angel and Faith gave a rather awkward good-bye and walked out the back door.   
  
"Mom? You and Giles?" Buffy said with a little giggle in her voice. Joyce blushed and Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them. Spike chuckled at the family's behavior and started to walk Buffy to the stairs.  
  
"C'mon pet. No need to give them a hard time about it…tonight." He smirked at the other couple and led Buffy the rest of the way up the stairs.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Previously in England…  
  
Wesley sat alone in a darkened corner in a cell in the Council's group containment quarters with a gaggle of other Watchers who were under investigation for their past behavior and associations with Quentin Travers. Wesley looked over at his fellow watchers and put his head in his hands unable to bear the glares that they continually shot in his direction. He knew what they said about him. They called him a pansy and a pounce and deep down he knows that they're right.  
  
The familiar feeling of guilt began to bubble up inside of him at his role in Buffy's kidnapping as paltry as it was. The tension in the cell is thicker today that it has been in the past few weeks. They had all assumed that they would get a reprimand and then it would be back to business as usual. But that was until Murdock was sentenced the night before. He had been convicted of high treason against the Council and crimes against humanity. He was currently in one of the darker cells in the Council dungeon where he would spend the next forty years. But Wesley assumes that even if he is convicted and goes to the dungeon, there won't be any escape from the guilt. The only way to fix that is to go to Sunnydale and make it up to Buffy and the others.  
  
"Mr. Wyndam-Price." A voice called from the other side of the bars. Wesley looked up to see one of the new Watchers and he slowly rose to his feet and walked to the door of the cell aware that all the eyes of the others were on him.  
  
"Yes." He replied trying to keep his voice even.   
  
"Your trial will begin soon and we are going to move you to an isolated cell." The Watcher replied curtly and opened the door allowing Wesley to exit. The door slammed shut behind him and Wesley couldn't help but jump at the noise. The others smirked at him. "This way." The Watcher said as two guards handcuffed Wesley and flanked him as he followed the nameless Watcher down the corridor.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cordelia's words rang in all their heads and as Xander turned them over in his head the phone rang causing him to drop the book that he was studying. Willow shot him a look and got up to answer the phone.   
  
"Hello?" She asked and the others stopped their studying to listen. With all the things that had gone wrong this year, they figured it was only a matter of time before an emergency called them away from the library and back to the wonderful world of Slaying. "Ok…Yeah…Thanks…I'll have to think about it." She turns to the other looking excited.   
  
"Well what is it Will?" Xander asked nervously.  
  
"Oh. Well. That was just the Council. Er…the new Council. They want me to go over there after graduation and study witchcraft in a coven over there." She could barely contain her smile she was so excited. It was her lucky day!  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea." Oz said quietly and it was like a bucket of water to Willow.   
  
"Why not?" She asked with the beginnings of a pout forming.   
  
"Your magic is getting out of hand. I think that you're starting to depend on it too much and it's not good for you Willow." She waved her hand at him about to reply but Cordy cut her off.  
  
"Besides, it sounds boring. Going to stay with the stuffy old Council? I mean would you come back over vacation and stuff wearing tweed and cleaning your glasses into a fine powder?" She snorted and returned to her books already tired of this conversation. Xander sat quietly his eyes unfocused on the pages of the book before him.  
  
"What do you think Xander?" Willow asked desperate for someone to be on her side.  
  
"I don't know Will." Xander said and looked up at the group. "It all comes down to our choices. What we want to do with our lives. Go to college or save the world?" 


	5. Chapter 5

Here is the next chapter! FINALLY! I am sorry that i am going really slow on this. I am taking an on-line course and it is just a lot more work than i thought it would be. Stupid actually having to do the homework assignments! boo!   
  
Well I hope that you guys like it. It is a little low on the action but the next chapter should be a lot more action intensive.  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Buffy flopped down on the bed and grinned at Spike as he closed the door.   
  
"My mom and Giles? The hellmouth really does have an overactive imagination." She giggled again and Spike walked over to her side.   
  
"It's not that strange really pet. I mean, think of all the time they spend together worrying about you and all. Was bound to happen sooner or later."   
  
"I guess." Buffy looked at him skeptically. "It's weird though. Mom and Giles. Giles and Mom. Kissing. Ewww. Bad mental image there. I mean, how am I supposed to react to that?"   
  
"Just be happy for them, luv. I mean they were pretty supportive of the two of us. And I am an evil vampire. That had to have been hard for them to adjust to."  
  
"You're right." Buffy shrugged and scooted back on the bed. "But it's still ooky." Spike grinned at her and began to crawl up the bed towards her.   
  
"Ooky, eh? Well I can think of something to take your mind off of that." He gave her a smirk and Buffy giggled pretending to be unaware what he was talking about.  
  
"Oh? And what would that be?" She batted her eyes at him and Spike's smirk merely widened at her act.   
  
"You know pet. A little bit of this. A little bit of that." His hand reached out and touched her hair lightly. Buffy smiled and let her hands trail down and then back up his chest. She looked up at him innocently and began to unbutton the buttons.   
  
"A little bit of this?" She asked and slid her hand along his exposed chest. Spike's smirk melted into a delighted smile at her touch and he leaned in closer to her until their lips were only a hair's breath apart.   
  
"Exactly." He whispered and kissed her parted lips.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Joyce looked at Giles apprehensively after everyone had left them in the hall alone.   
  
"Do you think that we should go after Hank?" She asked not really to happy about having Hank in her home but she was worried about his safety in his current agitated state.  
  
"I'll go look for him." Giles assured her. "You wouldn't get any sleep tonight if you're worried about him." She smiled and blushed a little bit as Giles leaned down to brush a kiss across her cheek.   
  
"Hurry back." Joyce called as Giles stepped out the front door. He turned and smiled at her and gave a wave before heading in the direction of Hank's hotel. The streets were poorly lit and Giles squinted into the darkness that was in front of him. He hoped that this new Mayor wasn't some sort of evil immortal and would actually put in new streetlights. Another light blinked out as Giles was walking by and he heard a voice come from the nearby alley.   
  
"No! Things are different than you said they would be…I'm backing out of our deal…You're not listening to me!"  
  
Giles skulked closer to the opening of the alley suddenly thankful for the shadows that concealed his presence from Hank Summers. Hank's voice got more and more agitated as Giles listened.  
  
"I don't care about your plan! This is over." Hank hung up the phone and turned around quickly and jumped back when he saw Giles.   
  
"What plan is this?" Giles asked coldly.  
  
"None of you damned business! What? Are you people following me now?" He sneered at the other man and moved to walk by him. Giles slammed him against the wall of the alley.  
  
"Joyce was worried about your safety. Now I am worried about our safety from you. So you'll be coming with me." Giles said in a low tone. Hank's sneer faltered for a moment and Giles could see the fear in the other man's eyes before he covered it over again.  
  
"I will not be bullied!" Hank declared and attempted to push Giles off of him but Giles slammed him back against the alley wall again and Hank saw stars as his head impacted against the unforgiving brick wall. Giles glared at him.  
  
"Where Buffy and Joyce's safety are concerned I admit I am not above bullying." He pulled Hank off the wall and gripped his arm tightly. "You're coming with me back to the house."   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Back to England….  
  
Bradburry hung up the phone as Wesley was brought into the room for his trial. He returned to his seat at the main table as the charges were read. Wesley's head drooped as the list went on and on. Treason. Deception. Conduct unbecoming a Watcher. It was like his worst nightmare come true. Come to think of it, he did have this nightmare a few times in Watcher school.   
  
"What do have to say in your defense?" Rivers asked. Wesley looked around at the impassive faces that surrounded him. There was only one thing that he could say.  
  
"I can offer no real defense for my actions. I blindly followed what I believed my duty was to the Council without examining my own moral compass. I don't believe that I should be sentenced to death for this offense, but I know that I should be punished for my actions." The Head Council glanced at each other and Rivers gestured for the guard to remove Wesley so they could discuss his sentence.   
  
"I don't think that he's much of a threat really." Rivers began and the other nodded in agreement. "We do need to be careful not underestimate him though. He may seem like merely a cog in this elaborate scheme of Travers', but we still need to be careful."   
  
"I agree." Bradburry said and rubbed his forehead, as he was deep in thought. "But we still have the issue of Chamers' escape to deal with. Perhaps Wesley can help us with that matter." There was a murmuring from the other Watchers and Rivers took in their frowns and unhappiness with that suggestion. Their position was still too precarious to take a risk on Wesley Wyndam-Price.  
  
"An interesting idea but unrealistic." Rivers said quickly and the others stopped grumbling. "I don't believe we should allow him to keep his position as a Watcher or place him in containment any longer." There was a murmur of consent and a vote. "Bring him back in." Rivers declared and the doors to the courtroom were thrown open and Wesley was brought back in and pushed down into a chair.   
  
"We have reviewed your case and have decided to relieve you of your duties as a Watcher." Wesley looked down at the ground ashamed to have dishonored his family name. "However, we have decided not to keep you imprisoned and you will be released effective immediately. That is all." Rivers declared and the crowd of Watchers got up and began to mill about the room. Wesley's cuffs were released and he stood up beside his seat and looked around the room forlornly uncertain what to do with himself. Someone tapped him on his shoulder and he turned to see Bradburry.  
  
"Congratulations on your freedom Mr. Wyndam-Price." Bradburry said with a slight smile. Wesley ran a hand through his hair absently.   
  
"Yes. I am quite relieved, but I don't quite know what to do with myself." He chuckled nervously and Bradburry took him by the arm and began to escort him out of headquarters.  
  
"I suppose that you've heard about what has been going here lately? And Mr. Chamers' escape?" Wesley looked at him in surprise.  
  
"I hadn't heard about that actually." Wesley said surprised.   
  
"Yes, well. The Council hasn't been able to look for him yet what with the restructuring we are doing and the back log of criminal proceedings we have to go through."   
  
"Wouldn't it be safe to assume that Chamers went to Sunnydale for revenge?" Wesley offered hesitantly.  
  
"I had suggested the thing myself and have called to warn Rupert. Unfortunately I was unable to reach him." Bradburry sighed and looked sideways at Wesley. "The council would of course be most grateful for any help with recapturing Chamers." They reached front door of the Council headquarters at this point and Bradburry patted Wesley's shoulder. "Most grateful indeed." He reiterated and opened the door for Wesley. "Until we meet again." Wesley nodded and stepped out into the busy London Street.   
  
Now he knew what he had to do. Even though they probably hated him in Sunnydale it was the only place that he could go. He had to go back and look for Chamers. Not just for his own sake or just for the Council's sake, but for the people who he had betrayed. He owed it to them to warn them about this threat before it was too late.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
ok   
  
i really wanted Wesley to redeem himself. I felt really bad for him when i was watching the whole COnner/Angel thing and it really pissed me off that Angel expected everyone to forgive him about the whole going evil and torturing Buffy, killing Ms. Calendar, etc thing and then not even consider accepting Wesley's apology. So yeah. Review please :) 


	6. Chapter 6

Hi. I know. I stink. I wanted to do updates everyweek but you can see how well that panned out. I was also having trouble with where I wanted this story to go. But I am back on track and as long as I can keep above water with the on-line class I'm taking and work and you know, still have a life...  
  
Anyways, as always the more plentiful the reviews...the more motivation for me to skip accounting hw and write fanfic!  
  
WARNING: Character death....  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Get in there you wanker!" Giles muttered as he pushed Hank Summers through the door of the Summers house. Joyce got up quickly from the couch where she had been waiting for Giles' return.  
  
"I will not be treated this way!" Hank sputtered indignantly.   
  
"Oh yes you will!" Giles hissed and then turned his attention to Joyce who was looking confused. "I overheard him on the phone with someone talking about some plan. It seems his sudden visit isn't just to see how his neglected daughter is doing. I thought that perhaps you could convince him to talk."  
  
"What plan Hank?" Joyce whispered angrily at her ex.  
  
"Joyce, now listen to me…"  
  
"No. Not anymore Hank. I listened to you when you came home smelling of cheap perfume and champagne. I'm not listening to your lies anymore. You will tell me the truth now." Hank remained silent alternating his glare between Joyce and Giles. Giles' patience snapped.  
  
"Get over there." Giles hissed and pushed Hank steadily towards the basement. Joyce guessed his intent and opened the door.   
  
"Now wait a minute!" Hank protested but stopped when Giles pushed him towards the steps. Hank lost his balance and stumbled down the first few stairs but grabbed onto the railing to regain his balance. "Stop this now!" He turned trying to look threatening but was met with the experienced glares of Joyce and Giles.   
  
"Get down those steps!" Giles thundered and Hank blanched and obeyed. The two followed him down the stairs and Giles pushed him into a chair while Joyce located a set of manacles that Spike had left in the basement…she had never asked why.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Hank asked slightly nervous now that he had seen the manacles.  
  
"Nothing." Giles replied and began to secure Hank to the chair. "We'll be back to check on you in the morning." And with a Ripper-like smile he turned to leave. A clatter had him turning around and he glared at Hank when he saw the man's cell phone fall to the ground. "Let's just see who you were trying to call…" Giles picked up the phone and after fumbling with it for a bit handed it to Joyce. She grinned at him and made the phone dial the most recently dialed number. She handed it back to Giles.   
  
"Hello?" A crisp British voice answered. Giles frowned at the phone. "Hello?" Giles quickly hung up. He looked at Hank with a speculative air his frown deepening. He punched him and Hank was knocked out cold.   
  
"Who was it Rupert? Did you recognize his voice?" Joyce asked. Giles was still deep in thought and looked up at her absently. She repeated her question.  
  
"Yes. Indeed I did Joyce. It was Chamers. One of Travers' lackeys." They stood in silence for a moment, taking in this turn of event before they walked upstairs to their bedroom.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chamers looked at the phone in his hand and frowned. The hair on the back of his neck pricked up and he could tell at that moment that Plan A was unfoiling. Well, he would just have to move onto Plan B. An evil grin lit up his face as he realized the events he would have to set in motion. Perfect. He liked Plan B much better anyways.  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
Wesley looked around the familiar streets as he drove his rental car through Sunnydale. He parked in an alleyway and snuck back around to the bars by the docks. He frowned as he walked into the first bar. 'Why would Chamers come here?' he asked himself for the thousandth time. 'Why would he risk his safety?' The only thing that Wesley could think of was revenge. Revenge against Buffy and Spike, but without the resources and backing of the New Council, that would be virtually impossible.   
  
"What'll it be?" The bartender asked brusquely.   
  
"Ah. Yes. Have you happened to meet anyone else fairly recently with a British accent?" Wesley asked amiably. The bartender frowned.  
  
"Listen buddy. This is not an information booth. Buy a drink or move along." The man crossed his arms over his burly chest and looked at Wesley indifferently.   
  
"Oh. Well. I'll have a Miller lite draft." Wesley answered and the bartender raised an eyebrow at the 'lite' but went to get the drink. He slammed the mug in front of Wesley, sloshing some beer out on the bar and Wesley pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. "Keep the change." Wes said and the bartender's attitude became a lot friendlier.   
  
"You looking for some friends of yours then?"   
  
"Something like that." Wes said and gingerly took a sip from his glass, hoping that they washed the glasses on occasion.   
  
"Well there is one who comes here."  
  
"Yes." Wesley asked and reached into his wallet pulling out another twenty and sliding it across the bar.  
  
"He's got dark hair and wears tweed all the time." The bartender paused as he thought for a moment. "Never really talks to anyone. Not very friendly guy." Wes nodded.  
  
"Do you happen to know this guy's name?"   
  
"I might." Another twenty passed over the grubby bar. "Something with a C. Calmers, Camers, Camels…"  
  
"Chamers." Wes said with certainty.  
  
"Yeah, that's it. Chamers. He's staying over at the Sunnydale Arms I think." Wes stood up and tossed some ones on the bar.  
  
"Thanks." He walked towards the door.  
  
"Hey what about your beer?" The bartender called after him. Wesley didn't turn back. The bartender shrugged and gulped down the beer himself. "Lite beer. I might as well drink water." He grumbled to himself and then took the rag behind the bar and began to polish the glass.  
  
Wesley got into his car and locked the door behind him. He leaned his head on the steering wheel. He kept wondering what he could do. Should he go find Chamers on his own or go to the others. Thinking of Giles and Buffy brought his mind to the letter that Bradburry had given him before he left. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and looked at it curiously. Ripping it open two aged pages fell into his lap. He picked them up carefully and absently switched on the light in the car. He sighed. The missing prophesy texts.  
  
He was off to see Giles.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Willow knocked on the door at Revello Drive at around eleven in the afternoon. When there was no answer she frowned and pushed the door open. Huh, unlocked. She heard the radio playing from the kitchen and walked back there, smiling at the sight. Buffy was sitting at the breakfast island tapping her foot to the beat and studying for her GED.   
  
"Hey Buff." Willow said and was pleased when said vampire jumped in surprise. Yeah, she was good. Sneaking up on a vampire.   
  
"Oh hey Wills. You surprised me." Buffy said turning to her friend and smiling. "What's up?"   
  
"Just thought I'd stop by, use my new sneaking around skills." She grinned and Buffy ducked her head. Buffy chuckled. "Actually, I got a call from the New Council."  
  
"Go on." Buffy said and couldn't repress a shudder as she recalled her time spent at the Council.  
  
"They, well, they wanted me to go to England so that I could study magic there." Willow said and bit her lip waiting for Buffy's reply. But Buffy was strangely silent. "Well?"  
  
"I don't know Will. I mean is that what you really want? What about college? And Oz? And leaving the Hellmouth?" Buffy took Willow's hand in her own. "Don't you want a normal life, Wills?"   
  
"Normal? Who wants normal? Ordinary. I want something extraordinary. Like what you have Buffy. And besides, think of all the good I can do if I do this. I could really make a difference fighting the forces of evil." She looked so sincere and Buffy didn't want to discourage. She squeezed Willow's hand and pulled away cupping her mug of blood in both hands.  
  
"Would you have to go to England?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I don't know. I get the feeling that something important was happening and Bradburry had to go."  
  
"What did Oz say?"   
  
"He…" Willow scrunched up her face as she remembered. "He thinks I'm doing too much magic in general. I don't think he wants me to go." Willow said. Buffy frowned but before she could answer, Willow went on. "And Xander, well he said this really smart thing. Go to college or save the world. I still don't know what I want to do." Buffy smiled and as Spike stumbled into the room her smile broadened.   
  
"Hey sleepy head." Buffy said and he walked over to her absently kissing her head.  
  
"Hey pet, Red." Spike nodded towards Willow. Buffy jumped out of her seat and Spike quickly sat on her chair. Buffy put his mug of blood in the microwave for him and went to the pantry to get the Burba weed out for him.   
  
"Hey Spike. How are you?" Willow asked a little hesitantly. Spike was usually pretty friendly to her but right now he seemed on edge. The microwave beeped and Buffy turned back towards them.   
  
"Pet, can you smell blood?" Spike asked a little uneasily. Buffy laughed at him and held up her mug and pointed at his.  
  
"Yeees." She said and Willow giggled at them. Spike didn't join in their laughter. He smelled his mug of blood and put it back untouched on the counter. He frowned and Buffy reached out to take his hand. "What wrong baby?" She asked and Spike looked up quickly.  
  
"Not pig's blood." He muttered and quickly stood up and walked to the basement door flinging it open.   
  
"Spike what is it?" Buffy asked. She was seriously getting worried and Willow looked between the two vampires worriedly. Spike pounded down the basement stairs, too upset to be silent. He froze at the sight from the bottom of the stairs. Before he could call out to Buffy to stay upstairs, she and Willow stepped off the last step beside him. Buffy gasped.  
  
"What is it Buffy?" Willow asked and stepped from behind her friend. Then she sucked in a desperate breath. Manacled to a chair in the middle of the basement and his blood drying into the cold concrete floor was Buffy's father. Dead.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
Bet i scared you with that character death warning! all for nothing. I am a tease..i know.   
  
Anyways. Just a little poll. I was wondering what you would like:   
  
1. Buffy in a mental hospital/Spike as a doctor OR  
  
2. Buffy/William fic set in Victorian England OR  
  
3. Finish this you idiot then start a new fic! 


	7. Chapter 7

ha ha! I was much faster this time around! Unfortunately I have a busy next couple of weeks coming up but I will try to at least outline more so that I will have everything in line much faster for the story.   
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 7  
  
What was everyone else doing last night?  
  
Angel glanced over at Faith as she took out the fifth vampire of the night. As she came down from her spin kick, she slipped on a patch of wet grass and fell on her butt. As Angel went over to stake the vampire that was leaning into Faith, it suddenly disappeared into a cloud of dust.   
  
"Hey short stuff." Faith greeted Kennedy with a smile. The other slayer's face was stoic. Faith sighed. "Thanks for the save." Kennedy nodded and glanced over at Angel whom had stopped walking towards them as Kennedy's gaze turned towards him.  
  
"Hi." Angel greeted her as though talking to an animal that could attack at any moment. It was a good strategy. Kennedy inclined her head slightly at Angel without taking her eyes off of him. Angel sighed. "I think I'll head back to the mansion Faith. You ok to do the rest of patrol yourself."  
  
"Yeah sure. It's five by five." Faith said and Angel gave her a half smile before turning and going back to Crawford Street, his coat billowing out behind him. Faith frowned as Angel left and turned to the ever stoic Kennedy.  
  
"What is your problem?" Faith demanded once she was sure that Angel wouldn't be able to hear them.  
  
"What do you mean?" Kennedy asked, now relaxed that there were no vampires around.   
  
"What do I mean? I mean why are you so rude to Angel. And Buffy and Spike for that matter!" Faith demanded.  
  
"They are the enemy." She said stiffly.  
  
"No. They're really not. I've been here for almost a year now and I can't even count the number of times Buffy saved my life. And Spike and Angel too."  
  
"NO. They are all killers. Evil monsters who should be dead, but manage to cheat death by feeding off the life of others."   
  
"Sure that's true for all the others, but Angel and Spike and Buffy, they don't kill. They don't hunt. Actually, they kill a lot of vampires themselves. Besides, with them around, we'll live a lot longer." Faith smirked at Kennedy and turned to head back on patrol.  
  
"What's the point of living longer if all we get is more fighting?" Kennedy mumbled, but Faith heard her and turned back around, her plans for the evening suddenly changing.  
  
"Oh there's a point." Faith grinned at the confused look on the younger girl's face. "A wicked awesome point." She walked back over to Kennedy and took her by the arm. It was time this little slayer had her first trip to the Bronze.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So I told my dad, that it didn't matter where I went to school as long as it wasn't in Sunnydale." Cordelia told Xander as they sat at a quiet Italian Bistro in Sunnydale that had just opened.   
  
"I don't know why you're so against staying in Sunnydale, Cordy." Xander said innocently taking a bite of his pasta.  
  
"Well, duh! I mean why would I want to stay here? For the total lack of good shopping and rich people? Or maybe I should stay for the vampire and the chance to be eaten!" Cordelia paused and looked at Xander seriously. "I want to do more with my life than stay in the same one-Starbucks town where I grew up. I mean who would want to stay here?"   
  
"I want to stay here." Xander admitted quietly.   
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
"No. I'm really not. I mean I don't think that I'll be able to get into college with my stellar academic record and low, low SAT scores."  
  
"Well you can still move away." Cordelia protested. "Just get a job somewhere away from this hellhole."  
  
"It's not that simple." Xander ran his hand through his hair. "I want to stay here. Help save the world. I mean, no job in the world is going to be more worthwhile than that."  
  
"Are you crazy?" Cordelia put her fork down slowly and stared at Xander as though she had never seen him before, then she snorted. "It all comes down to Buffy doesn't it?" She asked snidely.  
  
"What are you talking about Cordy? What all comes down to Buffy?" Xander was confused by her sudden attitude change, although, he felt that he should have been more used to this after all this time.   
  
"That you're still totally in love with Buffy!" Cordelia yelled. Other patrons in the restaurant turned to look at the young couple in the corner and Cordelia lowered her voice. "All the time you've been dating me. You've been thinking about her, haven't you?" She demanded.  
  
"Of course not! Where do you get these crackpot ideas anyway?" Xander exclaimed. He rubbed his eyes with his hands and then looked at her. "It's not the same anymore. I care about Buffy, of course. She and Willow are my best friends. But that has nothing to do with how I feel about you!"   
  
"That's because Spike's in the picture now. He and Buffy are as good as married so you know that you have absolutely NO chance with her, not that you ever did." Cordelia huffed at him.   
  
"You're wrong! I admit that I did have a crush on Buffy for a while, but now I know that it was a crush. I am not hung up on Buffy, Cordy!"   
  
"Yes. You really are Xander Harris. I can't believe that I-"  
  
"I love you!" Xander blurted out interrupting Cordelia's rant before it could really get started. They sat in silence and the waiter brought them their check.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Now back to our heroes!  
  
Buffy looked at her father's body, manacled to a chair with his blood seeping into the concrete. She started to cry. Willow's hand covered her mouth as she fought the urge to vomit up the muffin she had eaten earlier. Spike abruptly turned Willow around and gave her a light push toward the stairs and wrapped his arms around Buffy, turning her away from the corpse.  
  
As they reached the upstairs, Buffy was being completely supported by Spike and Willow was trying to help console her friend, but didn't know what to say or do. Buffy's sobs soon woke up the other occupants in the house and Giles and Joyce rushed down the stairs still wearing their bedclothes.  
  
"What is it? Buffy, what's wrong!" Joyce asked taking in the sight of Buffy crying hysterically on Spike's lap while Willow tried to pat her back. Willow looked up at the couple and blushed slightly at seeing them so informally, but managed to push back her embarrassment in light of the situation.  
  
"Spike smelled blood and so we went to the basement, and…well…Mr. Summers is dead." Willow finished quietly.   
  
"What?" Joyce said and slumped down in the armchair. Hank had been very much alive when she and Giles had gone up to bed last night. She looked at Giles a little apprehensively, but he looked to be in deep thought. She breathed a little sigh of relief as Giles reached down and gave her shoulder a squeeze.  
  
"I'll be right back." Giles said and went to the basement to examine the crime scene. Giles frowned at the sight of Hank's dead body in the center of the basement. He hadn't heard anyone yell out in the night and since neither vampire had either he assumed that it was someone Hank knew and trusted. And that it had been quick enough so that a look of surprise would be permanently etched on his face.   
  
Giles went over to the body and saw that it was obviously a knife wound to the throat that had killed Hank Summers. And hence the excessive amount of blood. Giles bent down a little and saw that there were little patches of blood leading away from the body. He assumed that the killer hadn't quite anticipated that much blood and had gotten too close to his victim, resulting bloody footprints and his first clue.  
  
Following the trail to the window, Giles frowned as he noticed that the window into the basement was slightly ajar. So that was how the murderer had entered. He opened the window to see how large a person could enter through it and a piece of fabric fell to the floor. He closed the window and bent to pick it up. Although the design was incomplete, Giles knew instantly what was embroidered on this kerchief. It was part of the Council of Watcher's seal. Chamers! Carefully tucking it into his pajama pocket, Giles returned to the others to help console both Buffy and Joyce.  
  
"What is it Giles?" Willow asked noticing the pensive look on the Watcher's face.   
  
"Hmm? Oh. Well I don't know if now is the best time, but I have a theory as to the perpetrator of this crime." Buffy's tears slowed and finally stopped as Giles' words seeped into her grief clogged brain.   
  
"Who?" She rasped in a voice harsh from crying. Spike rubbed her back in an effort to calm her.  
  
"I believe that it was Chamers." Giles said and sat on the arm of Joyce's chair, allowing her to rest her arm on his leg and gather strength from his presence. Giles reached into his pocket and pulled out the kerchief fragment. "I found this in the window catch after I followed what I assumed were the murderer's prints to the window. It must have been his entry point."   
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get him!" Buffy said and jumped off of Spike's lap and moved to exit the house, even though she was dressed in her pajamas and it was still day.  
  
"Hold on, pet." She turned to glare at her mate who growled at her in return. "It's still bloody daylight out now." Her gaze softened and she looked sadly at Spike. He reached out to cup her face and her eyes closed enjoying the comfort that he so easily gave. "We gotta be smart, ducks. We'll find out where the bastard is and then we'll kill him." Spike said with an evil gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Good." Buffy said and her eyes opened to look at Spike. She was a little more feral than even a few moments ago with the prospect of a hunt in front of her. The three humans looked decidedly uncomfortable with this seemingly calm discussion of murder. The doorbell rang and Giles heaved a sigh of relief, which was shortly lived when he saw who was at the door.  
  
"Bloody hell." Giles muttered and gestured their guest inside. He looked sheepishly at all the beings that were gathered in the living room that had turned to stare at him.   
  
"Uh, hi Wesley." Willow said before the silence could stretch out any longer.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kennedy walked in the apartment that she and Andrea shared late in the afternoon. She was tired and felt like she could sleep for a month. But it was totally worth everything. She smiled.  
  
"Where in the devil were you!" Andrea exclaimed as Kennedy walked in the door. Andrea had not had a fun night like Kennedy had. The watcher had been up pacing since three in morning. That was usually when her slayer would return from patrol and now, some twelve hours later she came staggering in with a smile on…smile?! "Are you smiling?" Andrea asked incredulously.   
  
Kennedy merely shrugged and wandered into her room with a harried Andrea following behind. The slayer shrugged off her jacket and collapsed on her bed while Andrea watched her from the doorway.  
  
"Did you run into trouble last night?" Andrea asked. Kennedy grunted and closed her eyes, blissfully close to sleep. Andrea sighed and cleaned her glasses. She turned around and walked back to the main room figuring that she can always badger Kennedy later about all this. She was actually pretty glad that the girl was showing some personality and a desire to live. The phone rang interrupting her thought process.  
  
"Hello…yes…I'll be right there…ok…I'll bring her as well then…yes, see you soon." Andrea hung up the phone and went back to Kennedy's room and began to shake her awake. "Wake-up! That was Mr. Giles on the phone. Apparently there is something of an emergency and we must really get going." Kennedy groaned and rolled out of bed.  
  
"Fine, fine, I'm up. But we have to stop by Faith's on the way. There is no way that I am going to be up and she gets to sleep." Andrea's mouth merely opened and closed like a fish at Kennedy's sudden assertiveness.   
  
"Alright." She replied once she was able to handle human speech. "We'll stop on the way." She felt a smile twitch at the corners of her mouth. Sunnydale seemed to be agreeing with the girl after all. "Let's go." Andrea grabbed her keys and they left for the Summers' residence. Andrea briefly wondered if it would be better if they all just bought houses on Revello drive to cut back on travel time while they were saving the world.   
  
*~*~*~  
  
As always keep the reviews coming! the more you review, the more motivation I get to write! :) 


	8. Chapter 8

AN: thanks for being so patient with me. I'm really sorry that I have been such a slacker lately with the writing. Not to get to in depth with the excuses or anything but I feel like I should tell you all something because your reviews and encouragement really mean a lot to me. It was the two-year anniversary of my younger brother's death and it sort of put me in a "blah" place for writing complete sentences, however, I DID finish my outline for this story so I should be able to go much faster. I'm at work right now but I will try to get two chapters done and posted!   
  
Thanks for all of your support and as always…I beg for reviews! I love hearing what you guys think, especially about the direction the story is taking.   
  
Chapter 8  
  
Xander sat on his bed clutching a diamond engagement ring his hand. Well, near-diamond engagement ring. His vision was tunneled around the cloudy rock and cheap gold-plated band. How could he think that he would be good enough for Cordy? He couldn't even give her a real diamond. He was the son of an alcoholic janitor and couldn't even get into college, not that he had tried. He sighed and rubbed his free hand over his face.  
  
Maybe he shouldn't have told her that he loved when they were fighting about Buffy. Maybe he should have waited until after they walking along in the park looking at the stars…and knowing his luck being attacked by vampires. Maybe Cordy had a point about Sunnydale. Xander chuckled to himself and put the ring- that had cost all his savings- into its velvet-like box and in his pocket. He flopped back on his bed and sighed again. No. He didn't regret telling he that he loved her because it was the truth. Now if only she would believe that…and preferably say that she loved him too.   
  
A knock on his door pulled Xander out of his maudlin thoughts and he carefully wiped his eyes, pleased to find that he wasn't crying after all.   
  
"Come in!" He called out and mentally kicked himself for not asking who it was first. The door opened and Willow peeked in. She looked at Xander as he sat up on his bed and her tears begin to fall again. Then she hears…IT.  
  
"What's with the country music Xand?" Willow rubs her eyes fiercely. "You heard then? Buffy called?"  
  
"Heard what? About my date?" Xander asked confused.   
  
"No about her dad." Willow asked and at Xander's blank look began to fill him in.   
  
"We need to get to Buffy's." Xander said and stood up quickly and grabbed his coat off the floor.   
  
"I know. Mrs. Summers was on the phone with some family and then the police, I thought that she was going to be awhile, so I left to get you and Oz and Cordy. We should stop by their houses too." Xander hesitated for a second and Willow frowned slightly. "What?" She paused and Patsy Cline started to play on Xander's stereo. "Xander, why are you listening to country music?"  
  
"Because of Cordy." He sighed and moved towards the door again. "We should really get going." Willow put her hand on his arm to stop him and he turned to look at her. Damn! The resolve face. He gave her a half smile. "We had a date last night and I told her I love her. But we were fighting about Buffy and my wanting to stay in Sunnydale so she didn't say anything back. I don't even know if she believed me." Willow looked like she was about to say something but Xander cut her off. "No. It's ok I mean Buffy needs us now so I can put aside my hurt feelings and figure it out later. Let's go."  
  
"Yeah. I know that Buffy's going to really need all of us right now. Wesley came back." They exchanged a dark look, still feeling betrayed by the uptight Watcher.  
  
"Well, I guess wonder-wuss finally grew a pair if he came back here." Xander said with a half smile. Willow gave him a ghost of a smile and they headed out the door to get the others. Xander patted his pocket where the ring sat in its box. 'Someday', he thought. Maybe.  
  
Giles frowned at Wesley who sat nervously in a plush chair. Joyce was on the phone and Giles heard the door click shut as Willow left. He assumed she was going to get the others and was grateful for her thoughtfulness. Buffy sat ramrod straight on the couch glaring at him as Spike stroked her arm in an attempt to calm her down. His attempt did not seem to be working. Giles took off his glasses and began to polish them.   
  
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" He asked Wesley narrowing his eyes.   
  
"I realize that you all hoped to see the last of me once the new council took over. And do apologize for my past actions, but I have come with urgent news. It seems that Chamers, one of Travers' lackeys, has escaped capture and plans revenge on you all." Wesley moved to stand up but Giles pushed him back down in the chair.   
  
Before anyone could blink, Buffy had jumped from her place on the couch to attack Wesley. The chair tipped over backwards and landed with a thud. Joyce stifled a scream as she talked to some relative on the phone. Giles and Spike both rushed forward in an effort to stop Buffy from killing Wesley.  
  
"How can you show your face here after what happened! YOU knew! You knew what he would do!" Buffy screamed as she continued to hit Wesley. Joyce took a step back into the kitchen, shocked at her daughter's rage. She had never seen Buffy act so wildly before. Finally, Spike managed to pull her off of Wesley and he tossed a still screeching Buffy over his shoulder.  
  
"I'll take her upstairs and calm her down." He said to Giles while tightening his grip on Buffy. Giles merely nodded unable to reply. As soon as the door to their room closed, Joyce went over and helped Wesley up off the floor.   
  
"Thank-you Joyce. I daresay that-" Slap. He was cut off as an irate Joyce slapped him across the face.   
  
"That's for making me think my daughter was dead." She said coldly. Wesley looked a little shocked and Giles put his arm around her. Joyce leaned into his embrace, glad of his support. She didn't know how many more of these shocks she could take. Not in her condition.   
  
"Let's all sit back down and discuss this rationally. You came to help us, correct?" Giles says and they all sit down.  
  
"Yes indeed. I got into town a few days ago but I didn't want to come to you until I had some information of value. I managed to ferret out Chamers' location." That news was greeted with silence.  
  
"We believe that he killed Buffy's father." Giles said quietly and Wesley sucked in a breath in surprise.   
  
"I suspected he would do something but I didn't realize that it would be something that drastic." Wesley paused. "I suppose that he will try to go after all of us since he shouldn't be able to hurt Buffy physically. I think that he may have managed to work out the prophecy that we found about a turned Slayer and is using that towards his own twisted purpose."   
  
"Yes." Giles said as he sunk into thought. Joyce took his hand and he squeezed it knowing she needed his support. "Yes indeed."   
  
Buffy paced her room like she was locked in a cage. Spike watched her warily from his spot on her vanity bench. She was mad. Madder than hell and he could smell it in the air.   
  
"I can't believe that-that-that PILLOCK could have the nerve to come here after everything he did! All his lies and his planning with Travers!" She paused to suck in a breath of air and Spike stood up and grabbed her by the arms forcing her to look at him.   
  
"What did he do that was so bad Buffy? What did bloody Wesley do that Angel didn't do?" He paused as he looked into her bright green eyes. "That I didn't do?" Spike all but whispered at her. He hated bringing up their less-than-pleasant past. He somehow thought that by reminding her, it would make her love him less. Buffy looked up into his eyes and she felt herself soften. She slid her arms up around his waist to embrace him.  
  
"I love you." She whispered and then looked at him with an impish smile. "When did you get to be so smart anyway?" Spike grinned at her and led her over to the bed. They lay down and he pulled her close nuzzling his face in her hair.   
  
"I know you're upset, pet. But Wes is only a mini-wanker. Save your 'grrr' face for the major-wanker." He paused. "And I've always been smart, luv." He looked down at her and smirked and Buffy couldn't help but giggle a little bit. She stopped too soon for Spike's liking though and put her head on his chest.  
  
"I just wish that we hadn't been on such bad terms when it happened." She whispered.  
  
"I know, luv. I know." Spike murmured as he stroked her golden hair attempting to soothe her. But Buffy couldn't help the next thought from fluttering into her head. 'They'll all die someday. This is just the beginning.' Someday in the future it would just be her and Angel and Spike. Did she have a place in the human world anymore?  
  
Andrea walked resolutely up to the door of the Summers home and knocks. She looks back at the two Slayers who stagger up the walk with half closed eyes. She can't help but smirk in their general direction, remembering her own days of partying until well after dawn. She frowned as she turned back to the door. No answer.She knocked again. The slayers joined her on the front stoop and Faith yawned loudly.   
  
"Can't believe I'm awake right now." She said and glared half-heartedly at Kennedy. Kennedy grinned back, but soon yawned as well. Andrea couldn't help but snicker. Then she frowned at the still unopened door. She tested the doorknob. Unlocked. Signaling to the girls to be cautious she was pleased to see that any traces of sleepiness vanished from their eyes as they sensed a potential threat.   
  
"Be careful." She whispered and threw the door opened. The two slayers jumped inside, their muscles tense and senses alert. The scene before them caused them to relax and they gestured Andrea inside, letting their lack of sleep catch up with them once more.   
  
"Mr. Giles is everything alright? I was sure something was wrong when no one answered…" Andrea's voice slowly trailed off as she took in the third occupant in the Summers' living room. "Wesley?" She all but whispered. He looked at her in surprise and began to greet her when Faith interrupted.   
  
"Are you still evil?" She asked bluntly and Wesley blushed under her scrutiny.   
  
"I don't believe I was evil. Just weak." He answered her seriously.   
  
"I can see that." Faith says and nods at him before going to flop down on a vacant chair.   
  
"Well, actually Wesley's arrival was not why I called you all here. Although he does have some information that could be valuable." He paused wondering the best way to say what he had to say.  
  
"Chamers killed Buffy's father last night." Joyce said quietly and the three newcomers sucked a breath in shock.   
  
"Chamers?" Andrea exclaimed. "But why wouldn't the council warn us that he was in town!" She walked around the chair Wesley sat in to sit next to Giles on the couch.   
  
"Well, they tried actually. I believe that Bradburry mentioned he called but Mr. Giles doesn't have voice mail. And with the trials taking up all their time…" Wesley trailed off and shrugged.  
  
"Things are slipping through the cracks." Andrea completed. "Well at least this council isn't trying to kill us all of end the world." She muttered.  
  
"We should go after Chamers tonight." Giles said tightening his grip around Joyce. "We have to stop him before he goes after someone else."  
  
"What do we do with him afterwards?" Faith asked. The room was silent for a moment. Everyone knew what happened to Travers after he went after Buffy and Spike. Would they want to do the same to his successor?  
  
"We'll deal with that when the time comes." Giles said hesitantly while each of them silently hoped they didn't have to be the one to convince Buffy or Spike not kill the man- evil as he was. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Willow turned around to give Xander an encouraging smile as he walked next to Cordelia. He nodded at her and looked up into the setting sun before he took Cordy's hand. When she didn't pull away he felt a little bit of the weight lift off his heart. Until she began to speak.  
"Why are we walking again?" Cordelia sniped as the four of them walked at a brisk pace towards Buffy's house.  
"Devon needed Oz's van tonight to haul some stuff." Willow answered patiently trying not to lose her temper. Sometimes being a good person was hard around Cordelia. No matter how much she had changed since the Angelus incident.  
"Couldn't Devon have done that another night?" She whined.  
"He asked a week ago." Oz replied without turning around. Willow hugged her boyfriend's arm a little tighter and the two of them began to walk a little faster.  
"It's just a little way longer Cordy." Xander said and squeezed her hand affectionately. She dropped his hand like he had the plague.  
"I know. Nothing's too far or too much out of the way for your precious Buffy." Cordy snapped at him and Xander's mouth dropped open in shock. The pair stopped walking and Xander turned away from her. He couldn't bear to look into her eyes as she rejected his feelings again.  
"You know how I feel Cordelia. I told you last night and it's not my fault you don't believe me. I don't love Buffy in a romantic sense, but she is one of my best friends and her father was just murdered." He paused and Willow and Oz turned around to walk towards the arguing couple.  
Before anyone can say another word a car screeches to a halt next to them and they turn to look at it in surprise. Shots ring out and Oz tackled Willow to the ground as Cordelia and Xander dropped down too. The car screeched away leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Oz rolled off of Willow and searched her frantically for blood.  
"Are you ok?" He asked worriedly still running his hands over her to prove to himself she was real.  
"Fine. I'm fine. It's ok." She said and stilled his hands. He leaned in to kiss her but they were interrupted by the other couple.  
"Xander, get up." Cordy said rolling to her knees. She crawled over to Xander, wincing at her scraped arm. "Xander." She called again as she reached his prone form. With a trembling hand she reached out and touched his arm. He still felt like Xander. "Xander. You're scaring me." She called out a little bit more loudly. Then she rolled him over and gasped. "No! NO!" She yelled and Willow and Oz quickly ran over to her.  
"Xander!" Willow yelled as she watched the blood stain on his shirt expands. "No! Not this!" She buried her face in her hands as she cried for her best friend. Oz ran to the nearby payphone. They needed an ambulance and they needed it now. Then they needed Giles. His hand shook as he placed the call.  
  
Buffy walked down the stairs ahead of Spike, who placed his hand reassuringly on her lower back. She tensed slightly when she saw Wesley and Spike moved his hand up to squeeze her shoulder and Buffy relaxed, feeling relief that Spike was there to support just as he always had since finding her that night in the graveyard. She reached back to his hand as they reached the bottom of the stairs and he took his place at her side.  
"Buffy. I want you to know that I am sorry for my part in all that happened last time I was here." Wesley told her sincerely and Buffy gave Spike a sidelong look.  
"It's ok Wesley. I know you weren't in on the major planning." She said quietly and Spike smiled at her. His mate had such a big heart.  
"Yes, well. Excellent." Giles said. "Now, I believe that Wesley may know about Chamers whereabouts and we also believe that he has deciphered the prophecy regarding your turned status and he may be trying to exact his revenge on us as well as hatching some other evil scheme."  
"Great." Buffy said sarcastically. Spike whispered something in her ear and she couldn't help but smile at him and his weird sense of humor. She took his hand in her own.  
"Are you sure that he has managed to decode the prophecy, though?" Andrea asked. "I looked at it in England and everyone thought that it was pretty much unreadable." Spike looked at her thoughtfully.  
"If you want something enough, ducks, you'll find a way to make it readable. If you want something enough, and you're evil enough not to care about what you have to do to make it happen, you can do anything." Spike told her.  
"Yes. Well, I believe that Spike is right. I myself had almost worked my way through it. Not that I'm evil or did anything unscrupulous..." Wesley trailed off and blushed. "Well, anyway. My notes should be back at the library, and with these pages that I managed to acquire while I was back in England, I should be able to break it in no time."  
"Yes. Then we'll be able to know what Chamers' ultimate goal is." Giles murmured, the wheels turning in his head. Kennedy yawned loudly and everyone turned to stare at her in surprise. She was blushing under their scrutiny.  
"Hey! I'm not the only one! Faith's snoring!" She says pointing towards her sister slayer. Buffy gives the girl a half smile and Joyce sighs and goes over to wake up a sleeping Faith.  
"Well, I guess we should just wait for the guys to get here and then we can plan what we're going to do." Buffy said just as the phone began to ring.  
"I'll get it." Giles told them and answers the phone. The others talk quietly about what they think the prophecy says and what Chamers' plan might be. They don't notice Giles going pale and clutching the phone painfully in his hand. They do notice as he drops the phone and clutches the telephone table tightly.  
"Giles! What is it!?" Buffy asks in a panic.  
"Xander's been shot. He's at Sunnydale Memorial in critical condition." Somehow Joyce and Spike manage to help Giles to a chair. Suddenly, Faith and Kennedy are wide awake. Faith goes over to Buffy who is still standing as though she's paralyzed.  
"Buffy?" Faith asks. But Buffy is just standing in the middle of the room. Everything seems out of focus and she feels weak. How much more loss can she take? She knew that someday they would all die and leave her, but to be shot? Taken away by someone's whim? She felt weak. She couldn't protect them. She was weak. But there was a part of her that wasn't weak. "Buffy?" Faith said and reached out to touch Buffy's arm. Buffy growled and vamped out causing Faith to jump back.  
"Chamers." Buffy said in a strong, cold voice. And before anyone could react she had run out of the house leaving the door swinging on its hinges in her wake. Spike snaps out of stupor and starts after her, but she is already out of sight. He inhales deeply and takes off after her scent without a word, leaving the others even more shocked then before.  
"This is not good." Faith says and rubs her arms.  
"No." Giles agreed and went to close to the door. "No, I believe this may be very bad. We have rarely seen Buffy's demon before now." He stopped and punched the wall next to the door. "We must get to the hospital and see how Xander and the others are but this text must be translated. We need to know what the bloody hell is going on here!" Joyce walked over to him and rubbed his arm which was still tense and perpendicular to the wall. "Sorry" he mumbled and gave her an embarrassed smile.  
"I'll head to the library and continue my research." Wesley said. "I doubt the other really wants to deal with me in light of this shooting and I'm nearly there." Giles gave him a grateful look.  
"I'll help." Andrea said and moved to pick up her bag.  
"We should probably go patrol Giles." Faith said and opened Buffy's weapon chest and motioned Kennedy over.  
"We'll pick up Angel and look for Chamers too while we're out there." Kennedy offered and Giles nodded. He turned to face them and felt heartened by the slew of determined looks he was met with. Faith shot her sister slayer a surprised look but Kennedy just blushed and shrugged her shoulders in response.  
"Joyce, stay here." She was about to protest but he cut her off. "Just in case Buffy or Spike comes back. We'll need someone to keep them here." She nodded in understanding and Giles turned to leave.  
"Wait!" Joyce called and Giles turned back in surprise. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Be careful." Joyce said seriously and kissed him.  
"I will." Giles assured her. He kissed her then and it wasn't until Faith began to cough that they broke apart.  
"Well now that we're scarred for life..." She said while smirking at the older couple. "Let's get this show on the road." And they went out into the night not knowing what to expect.  
  
Cordy looked around the waiting room despondently. This is not what was supposed to happen. She and Xander had a fight, sure. But he was supposed to be ok. Convince her that he really did love her and then she would admit to him that she loved him all along. Then they would live happily ever after in LA or New York. Or somewhere in Europe. A nurse came out of the ICU and Willow ran up to her.  
"Xander Harris, how is he?" She demanded and the nurse looked at her carefully. When she saw the depth of concern she handed Cordelia the bag filled with Xander's personal possessions.  
"He's still in surgery, dear. Why don't you sit with your friends and wait until the doctor comes out. It should be soon." She said and pointed to where Willow sat huddled in Oz's embrace.  
"Ok." Cordy mumbled and sat down near the other two, but slightly apart. She opened the bag with Xander's clothes and wallet and as she smoothes out the wrinkles in his pants; a box falls on the floor at her feet. With fresh tears clouding her eyes she bends down and picks it up. "It can't be." She whispers to herself. She opens the box and stares at the grubby little ring inside. She can tell it's not a real diamond and the band is just gold plated. It's simple. Just like Xander. Cordelia slides the ring on her finger. Perfect fit. Just like Xander.  
"Cordy?" Willow asks her hesitantly as she sees Cordelia put the ring on her finger.  
"I love him, Willow." Cordelia admits before she begins to cry again. Willows gasped in shock and pulled the other girl into a hug.  
"He'll be ok. He has to." They cry together and Oz gets up from seat to walk around the dingy waiting room. Just then a doctor comes out of the ICU. The three of them rush up to him.  
"Xander Harris?" Cordelia asks out of breath.  
"Are you family?" He asks.  
"I'm his fiancé." Cordy says proudly and the doctor shrugs. This is Sunnydale after all.  
"It was touch and go there for a while. But he survived the surgery and we got the bullet out. But he lost of a lot blood and there was a lot of internal bleeding." He paused and looked at the three young people in front of him. "You should come back to say good-bye." He told them as gently as he could. Cordy's face crumbled and she buried her head in her hands pressing the heel of her palms sharply into her eyes.  
"Let me see him." She demanded and the doctor nodded. Willow grabbed her hand and Cordy turned to face her trying not to break down completely. She would save that for the funeral. She was surprised to see Willow's resolve face and not the grief-stricken countenance she had expected.  
"Stay with him until I get back." Willow said solemnly and Cordelia could only nod as she thought she saw Willow's eyes flash black for a moment.  
"Hurry back." Cordelia whispered and followed after the doctor to sit by Xander's bedside until the inevitable happened. Willow watched her go from the window in the door until Cordy turned into one of the rooms in the circular ward. She had an errand to run, but then, everything would be alright.  
"Where are you going?" Oz asked as Willow turned around to leave.  
"You know where. To get my supplies. I can fix this. Fix Xander." She told him the same solemn tone she had used when speaking to Cordelia.  
"No Willow. Magic is dangerous. And at this level it could have deadly consequences. It's not something you should automatically turn to."  
"I'm not automatically turning to-"  
"It's like the wolf. A power inside of you that you can't control." Oz interrupted and Willow glared at him.  
"So Buffy can handle fighting against her demon but poor little weak Willow, a little magic is too much for her to handle."  
"That's not what I meant-"  
"Sure it is. You never believed in me or my magic."  
"The demon is something that can't be helped. But the magic, you can stop it. Put it to a place where you can't reach it. Where you can just be Willow." Oz continued doggedly.  
"NO. Oz. It is part of me. A part I never knew existed, but now that I know that it's there I can't just throw it away."  
"But look what happened when you returned Angel's soul. The magic just took over and there was NO MORE WILLOW. I like Willow. I want Willow around." Oz said and reached out to touch her arm. Willow's expression softened for a second before she became resolved once more.  
"There will be no more Xander if I don't do this." She faltered for a second as pain took over her entire being. "I need to do this Oz." She whispered before she turned around and ran from the hospital as fast as she could.  
  
AN: Whew! That last chapter just did not want to get finished! Well there are a total of 13 chapters and then an epilogue so only five more parts to go before this trilogy is over! Review if you want more and want me to write faster!  
  
P.S. Thanks for your patience with me and my slowness. I hope that you are all still reading because I do intend to keep writing! 


	10. Chapter 10

Ok another long delay between postings. Yes. I stink. Anyways I was reading the reviews about me and a beta. I don't have a beta. I was actually pondering for awhile if I should get one. While it would make my work a lot better it would also take longer for me to post.

If anyone is interested in beta-ing for me please let me know. Send me an e-mail ) or write me a review and let me know ;0

* * *

Chapter 10

Spike strode through the streets of Sunnydale with a purpose. He paused as he came to a crossroads and inhaled deeply. 'Buffy' his senses screamed to him and he followed her familiar scent to the warehouse district. He saw when she sensed his presence. Her back arched and her head turned slightly to one side. She turned back though to the building she was searching in a split second. Spike walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. Buffy shrugged it off and walked a few paces away.

"Pet." Spike began and was startled by her growl. He automatically growled back and she turned to him in full game face. "You're not acting like yourself." He said harshly willing back his arousal at seeing her demon so powerful and close to the surface.

"NO." Buffy stated firmly. "I'm finally acting like myself, Spike. I'm a demon. I hunt my prey and then I kill them. I make them bleed and suffer." She smiled a little at the thought before her smile became the pout of a petulant child. "Besides, Chamers had it coming." Spike couldn't help but grin at her assessment before he realized exactly what she was saying.

"Love, you need to come home. Your demon is getting out of your control. You need to be around the people who love you and you love." Buffy growled again and Spike took half a step back in surprise. Part of him was in pain that she was acting so hostile towards him but another part of him was turned on by the anger and pure abandon he could sense from her demon. Buffy smiled at she saw desire in his eyes. She sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around Spike's neck pressing her body close to his.

"It could always be like this, you know." Spike swallowed hard and Buffy grinned an evil smile before she paused and licked the side of his neck. "We could break free from this dingy little town. Just the two of us." She bent over to suck at the mark where she had claimed him as her mate. Spike moaned and pulled her impossibly close to him as her dark promises poured over him. "We could bathe in the blood of the innocent. Tear their throats out and dance on their graves. Turn this world into our playground. Roam around unchecked and strike terror into the hearts of the righteous. It could be our names that humans fear to whisper..." Buffy trailed off as she ground against Spike. He placed his hands on her hips and she smiled in victory sure that he was about to give in. She squeaked in surprise as he distanced himself from her slightly.

"I would go if I thought you really meant it. If I knew that was what you really wanted. Just the two of us running around the world..." He sighed. "But that's not what you want. Not now."

"But think of the damage we could cause? The carnage?" Buffy purred trying to bring Spike's bloodlust to the forefront. Spike paused and leans down to kiss her. She returns his kiss eagerly and jumps up to wrap her legs around her. Spike pushes her up against a brick wall and breaks the kiss. Buffy looks down on him confused and Spike smiles ruefully. He hits her hard and her head bounces back against the wall, knocking her unconscious.

"Sorry ducks. I know that's not what you want." He cradles her unconscious to him. "It's just like I feared when I saw you turned in that graveyard, your demon taking control and the light and passion of your soul gone. But I won't let that happen." He pushed some hair off her forehead and kissed her almost reverently. "I'll help you come back to me, to all of us. And if I can't, then I will take you away from her and we'll do all the things that you said. I promise."

And with that he carried her off back to her house, where he knew everyone would be frantic with worry. He only hoped that his manacles were strong enough to hold her once she woke up.

* * *

At the library...

Andrea turned the page in the book that she was trying to read and sighed in frustration. While Wesley had made a good deal of progress translating the ancient prophecy, there was still much to be done. And she had always hated translations. She found a much more interesting topic of study instead: Wesley.

His appearance was very different than it had been when she last saw him. Instead of his usual three-piece suit, he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He was no longer meticulous about shaving and thin layer of stubble was apparent on his face. She blushed slightly as his brow furrowed while he concentrated on a particular line in the text. Andrea shivered slightly.

"How've you been?" She blurted out before she could stop herself. Wesley looked up at her and she blushed. He gave her a half smile.

"Considering everything that's happened the past few years, pretty well actually." Wesley answered and looked down. "And you?" He asked.

"Same." She answered hesitantly. "Did you, did you ever think about us while you were over here? The old gang from home I mean." She added hastily. But Wesley could see through her question. He hadn't dated her for two years without being able to tell what she meant.

"Yes. All the time." He answered honestly.

"I missed you." She whispered.

"I as well." As the silence grew between them, they were uncertain what to say or what to do. Wesley glanced down at the pages in front of him and threw his pencil to the table and sighed in frustration. "This is impossible." He sighed and Andrea came over to his side. "I've been working on this for months and it always ends up the same, meaningless."

"Let me see." She said and leaned over his shoulder to get a closer look at the line he was looking at. She glanced over to the page of notes in Bradburry's handwriting and frowns at one of the symbols in his cipher. "Hold on. I think this is wrong here..." Andrea carefully changes the words that were incorrect and Wesley looks over the prophecy. He smiles at her.

"I almost forgot what a good team we made at this." He says and leans up as though to kiss her. But he freezes before their lips meet and looks back at the now completed line. He can feel the blood run cold in his veins. Andrea looks down slightly flustered and a bit upset, she goes to move away but Wesley grabs her hand. Looking down at the line Andrea's heart skips a beat. No. It can't be possible. She quickly sits in the chair next to Wesley as they hurriedly use the corrected cipher to translate the prophecy. It all begins to make sense now. Where words and phrases seemed to have no relation to each other, syntax was created and paragraphs can be formed. But as Wesley's understanding increases, so does his dread.

"We have to go tell Mr. Giles right away." Andrea says as the complete the translation.

"Indeed." Wesley says and then frowns. "He's at the hospital though. Perhaps we should head over to the Summers house and tell him there."

"Yes. Yes, we don't want to upset the other children while they wait for news on their friend's condition." She looks uncertain for a moment. Andrea desperately wants to bring up their almost-kiss, but now is not the time. Not when there's so much else at stake. "Let's go there as soon as possible. Who knows? Mr. Giles might've already returned from the hospital."

"Yes." Wesley responded. "That would be quite fortunate." Wesley and Andrea hurriedly packed up their work and completed translations and headed towards the Summers home, hoping against all odds that Mr. Giles would be there. He had more experience in prophecies and hopefully he could help them figure out what to do, if there was any hope left for any of them.

* * *

Giles stepped out of the elevator slowly as the doors opened onto the ICU. This was one of the things that he had dreaded since the very beginning when Willow and Xander had first offered, well actually insisted upon helping Buffy with her slaying duties. He saw Oz sitting by himself in the waiting area.

"Oz." Oz looks up and Giles merely pats him on the shoulder, knowing there will be no words from the stoic teen. He glances around wondering where Willow went off. "Where's Willow?" Oz tenses and stands up.

"She's gone." Oz's brows crease in frustration and worry.

"Is Xander..." Giles' voice trails off.

"Almost." Oz replies after a moment's silence. "They said that there was too much internal damage. Willow went to get her magic to try to save him." Oz begins to pace, but this does nothing to calm him down. He pushes a chair over savagely and everyone in the waiting area jumps as they turn to stare at him. Giles pats Oz on the shoulder and motions him to sit down.

"Willow's going to try a healing spell?" Giles whispers in surprise. "I had no idea that her magic had come that far along." His own brows crease in worry. He should have been paying more attention, especially after her freezing spell at the Council. But he had been distracted. He guessed they all had. "There's nothing we can do now." Giles stated with finality. "We need to be here for Xander. Where's Cordelia?"

"Back with him now." Oz said regaining control of his emotions.

"We should go back as well before..." Giles took off his glasses to clean them, unable to finish his sentence. Oz merely nodded and they went back to say good-bye to Xander.

Cordelia looked up when she heard the door creak open to Xander's room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Oz and Giles. They wouldn't give her any false sympathies or try to cheer her up like the doctors and nurses.

"How is he?" Giles asked.

"Weak." She answered and looked over at Xander's pale form on the bed. He had dark circles under his eyes and wires and tubes all over him monitoring all his bodily functions. She glanced back over at the others. "Where's Willow?" Cordelia knew that the other girl would want to be here for the end. Or at least to say good-bye to her oldest friend.

"She's going to try a spell." Oz said flatly.

"For Xander?" Cordelia asked and hope began to enter her eyes for the first time since they had spoken to the doctor.

"Yes." Giles answered and Cordelia felt tears well up in her eyes. There was still hope. She would be able to tell Xander she loved him. That she was sorry for making him suffer, for being such a bitch.

"He could make it." She whispered to herself although the other heard her too. "He could live."

"But at what cost?" Oz said equally quietly. Before Cordelia could retaliate Xander's pulse shot up rapidly causing several doctors and nurses to rush into the room.

"I'm sorry. You'll have to leave." One of the nurses said to the visitors as she rushed over to try to stabilize Xander. Giles and Oz leave the room quickly but Cordelia merely moved to the back of the room and watched while they tried to stabilize him. Finally they finished and Xander was stable. The nurse turned away and saw Cordelia standing there.

"I'm sorry miss. But you'll have to leave too."

"It's ok Marge." The doctor said putting his hand on her shoulder. "That's his fiancé." Marge looked at Cordelia apologetically.

"I am sorry." The nurse said and Cordelia knew from her tone that she thought Xander's case was hopeless. That it was only a matter of time before he died. She didn't trust herself to answer. She merely nodded and pulled her chair to the side of the bed. The hospital staff left the room and Cordelia took Xander's hand in her own.

"I don't care what they Xander Harris." Cordelia said fiercely. "You're going to live and we are going to be happy together because," her voice broke and she took a deep breath to steady herself. "Because I love you." She gasped out and finally began to sob. She clutched Xander's hand as her head fell to the bed. She didn't know what she would do without him. She prayed Willow would come back soon. Then she could perform the spell and Xander would be all right. No matter what the cost.

* * *

well I hope that you liked it and that you are still reading this story! I will hopefully be able to write another chapter today. Review and let me know what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Spike slammed the door to the Summers house closed and began to walk up the stairs with Buffy slung over his shoulder, still unconscious. However, his entrance didn't go unnoticed and Joyce walked out of the kitchen to see him.

"Is she ok?" Joyce asked worrying that Chamers had some how gotten to her baby girl. Spike paused in mid-stride and then continued his assent without turning around.

"She's fine. Just not really herself at the moment. Could you bring me the manacles Joyce?" Spike asked Joyce merely nodded and went to do as he requested. Spike found himself oddly touched by her faith in him. He lowered Buffy carefully to the bed and sighed at her stillness. Spike reached out for the manacles when Joyce entered the room, but never turned his head. Joyce found his silence and his attitude unnerving.

"What happened?" Joyce asked.

"I knocked her out." Spike answered while he clasped the manacles around Buffy's wrists. Joyce gasped in surprise and Spike turned halfway to look at her. "Her demon has almost complete control of her Joyce. She could do something bad. She was talking about," Spike trailed off unwilling to betray what Buffy had been tempting him with. But he guessed that Joyce got the general idea by the appalled look on her face.

"I'll be downstairs." She muttered and quickly left the room. Spike turned back to Buffy and was surprised as he looked down into her yellow eyes.

"Ooohh. Kinky." Buffy said and winked at him. Spike hastily finished cuffing her and Buffy sighed in disappointment before an evil grin lights up her face. She inhales deeply. "I can smell the blood on these you know." She looks at Spike as his face tightens. "My father's blood. Are these the manacles they chained him up in?" Spike nods tensely and Buffy's smile grows. "That's kinky even for you, lover." She says and rattles the chains against the headboard.

"Buffy," Spike starts but is interrupted as Joyce enters the room with a cup of blood. "She's awake." Spike tells her and Joyce nods.

"I thought she might be hungry." Joyce says to Spike and inclines her head to the mug of blood in her hands. Buffy answers before Spike can get a chance.

"Oh. I am hungry." Joyce smiles at Buffy who returns the smile with a cold one of her own. "Come closer though mom. I can't get at it from here. I can hear it you know. Pumping in your veins. Begging me to free it." Buffy licks her lips slowly and Joyce steps back in shock. Buffy laughs and her fangs glint in the low light of the room.

"Buffy. I know you don't mean that." Joyce said steeling herself and taking a hesitant step closer. Buffy's laughter filled the room again.

"Oh don't I?" She asked her mother and rattled her chains, getting the desired smell of fear from the human in the room. "I can smell your fear you know." She taunted and took a deep breath. Her eyes widened, as she smelled something else. "And you baby. I wonder if your blood would taste any different now that you're pregnant? Or if I wait until the baby's born," Her threat was cut off as Spike growled at her. Buffy fell silent at her mate's displeasure and Joyce left the room in shock.

"That's bloody well enough of that." Spike said in a low voice. Buffy pouted at him.

"You're no fun anymore." She attempted to roll on her side but couldn't because of the manacles.

"Sure I am pet. But you don't want to do this." Spike said and reached out to stroke her face. Even though she was annoyed at him, she couldn't help but purr at his attentions.

"Yes I do. Why don't you believe that? I want this. No petty worries, or hang-ups. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I never realized that life could be like this. With no responsibilities, only pleasure." She sighed and looked up at him. "We could leave together now. While no one's here to stop us. It could be you and me for eternity just like you always wanted."

"I do want that Buffy. Bloody hell! You know I do." She smiled. "But at the mating ceremony, having all our friends and family around us...I like that too." Buffy frowned at him and moved to turn away but Spike her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "I know that you liked it too. And you want to be with them as long as possible. We have time for just you and me later, pet. All the time in the world."

"You just want me to be good." Buffy pouted at him. "You don't really love me as a vampire at all." Spike just looked at her incredulously.

"Are you off your nut? Of course I love you anyway I can have you pet!" Spike sighed and rubbed his hand over his face in exasperation. "Look luv, I might regret this later, but I promise you that if after you're back to your normal self-righteous self, if you want to leave Sunnyhell, then we'll go."

"Really?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"Swear it pet." Buffy sighed and Spike gave her a half smile. "I love you. You do know that right?"

"Yeah." She looked at him and her game face melted away. She gave him a soft smile. "I love you too."

* * *

Willow practically floated into the hospital waiting room as she clutched her bag of supplied to her side. Giles could feel the power radiating off her in waves, her grief making it almost visible. He shuddered and glanced over at Oz who had gone completely still.

"Is Xander alive?" She greeted the two men and Giles merely nodded. Willow's resolve hardened and she began to walk back to the ICU. Oz stepped in front of her and she frowned, seemingly puzzled. "What?"

"You can't do this Willow." Willow's frown deepened.

"Actually I can." She said coolly and moved around him only to have Oz grab her arm.

"Willow what are you planning to do?" Giles asked trying to diffuse the tension.

"What does it look like?" She snapped back. "I'm planning a garden party? I'm going to save Xander!" She broke free of Oz and moved once more towards the ICU.

"Willow, I am merely concerned for you." Giles says in a soothing tone. Willow manages a smile at that and reaches into her bag and pulls out a book. She flips through it and shows Giles the page with her spell.

"That's what I'm going to do." She knows he'll see that she's right, that it's the only way. There are costs but what are costs compared to Xander's life?

"This book is highly dangerous." Giles begins and Willow hisses at him. Giles does a double take. "Let us help you." Giles says trying to remain calm. However, Oz snaps.

"Help her! Look at her Giles! She's gone past our help! She's out of control with magic! You can't just mess around with that stuff and be the same person afterwards. You can't just use it to suit you whims, to play god and decide who gets to live and who gets to die!"

"Magic can be abused yes Oz. That's correct. However, if you follow the correct codes and-"

"ENOUGH!" Willow shouts and they watch in horror, as her eyes turn black and emotionless. "Enough." She intoned and stretched out her arms and power shoots from her fingertips. Willow watched, as Oz and Giles freeze, no longer able to speak or move.

Willow closes her eyes and she begins to chant, she doesn't need the book any longer or the ancient spell she spent so much time searching for. As the magic flows through her veins she realizes that she knew what to do all along. All she has to do is let the magic take over and all will be saved.

Giles and Oz watch in horror as Willow begins to rise off the ground until she is well above the floor. Yet, she continues to rise. The ceiling crumbles around her as her chanting continues and she floats upwards towards the stars. Everyone in the waiting area is paralyzed with fear as they watch some force seem to take over the young red head's body.

Reaching her arms above her head Willow's chants finally reach a high point. Power surged through her and an earthquake began. Her voice became louder as she yelled over the sound of the earth rolling and bubbling like it was liquid. With one final scream and burst of energy a ball of light shoots from where her hands are joined and rushes through the hospital. Suddenly, the rumbling stopped.

And Willow fell from the sky exhausted.

* * *

Faith bounced up the steps of the mansion, feeling grateful to be able to patrol after the scene in Buffy's house. She had never seen Buffy that out of control and wild before. She could us a little violence to help take her mind off of what really worrying her.

Kennedy smiled slightly at Faith's antics and followed her up the stairs at a much more subdued pace. Even though she would take Faith and Giles' words that Angel was no longer evil, it didn't help the feeling that she was getting from the house. She felt power, lots of power, and evil. Kennedy shuddered and Faith looked over at her concerned.

"You ok?" Faith asked and Kennedy's first response was to nod but she paused.

"I don't know how you can just push aside the slayer feeling around them." She told her sister slayer honestly.

"You don't." Faith answered and stepped slightly away from the door. "You can never get rid of the feeling that they're evil, even with Buffy and she doesn't make my senses tingle this bad. Until tonight." Faith added with a frown. So far her plan of ignoring that problem was going south.

"Yeah. But how do you not try to stake them even though every fiber of your being is yelling at you to kill them?" Kennedy asked truly perplexed.

"Ah, but is every fiber really yelling that at you?" Faith asked with a smirk. "Only the Slayer part is. All you gotta do is beat that bitch into submission and tell her that everything is five by five. They're your friends."

"Friends." Kennedy repeated quietly. "I suppose." She looked at Faith thoughtfully. "It's just...Angel killed Buffy and he could turn on us at any moment. How do you know that this is Angel and not Angelus?" Faith grinned.

"Oh, I can tell when he's evil."

"How?"

"The pants. He always wears these ugly leather pants." Kennedy giggled at the thought of the usually sedate and rather broody Angel wearing leather pants.

"Now that is truly evil." Faith laughed as well and knocked on the door before barging in anyway.

"Yep. You ain't seen evil, till you've seen that!" Angel walked down the stairs and both girls attempted to keep a straight face. Unfortunately, at his look of confusion, they both burst out laughing.

"What are you two laughing at?" He almost regretted asking. Faith straightened up after a few more moments.

"We were just talking about fashion." Kennedy let loose a very un-lady like snort. At Angel's look Faith continued. "We were going to patrol to take our mind off of everything that happened at Buffy's house."

"What happened at Buffy's?" Angel asked concerned for his childe.

"Chamers came last night and killed Buffy's dad." Faith said and her face set in a hard mask. "Buffy didn't take it so well and she kinda vamped out and attacked Wes."

"Wes?" Angel asked.

"Oh yeah. Princess Margaret is back." Faith clarified.

"And Buffy just attacked him?" Angel frowned concerned about this turn of events.

"Well yeah. What's the big? I mean sure, she vamped and it was pretty scary. But she got it under control. Then we got the call that Xander had been shot and Buffy just freaked went all 'grrrr' and ran from the house, Spike right behind her." Faith said and shivered as she remembered the coldness in Buffy's voice. Subconsciously, she began to rub the bruise on her arm where Buffy had pushed her. It didn't really hurt that much, but it was Buffy.

"Buffy's demon was out that much?" Angel noticed where Faith was rubbing her arm and he pointed at her. "Did Buffy do that?"

"Yeah. But what's the big? I mean it didn't hurt that much and Buffy's upset. We're all upset. I wanted to go after the prick myself." Faith defended.

"The big deal is that Buffy might loose complete control of her demon, Faith." Angel said sharply as he went to grab his coat. "We have to find her." He glanced over at the two slayers. "Coming?"

"But we're supposed to patrol!" Kennedy burst out unsure of why Angel was so worked up.

"If Buffy's lost control of her demon, then we are patrolling." Angel said grimly. He went to look for the tranquilizer gun. That might come in handy.

"What do mean her demon?" Kennedy asked and Faith glared a little at her.

"That's what makes the Slayer sense freak out." She paused. "We just talked about this! Why are you so worked up Angel?" Angel rolled his eyes. Honestly, what did they teach Slayers these days about?

"Fledglings like Buffy are run by their basest desires and only a person with a strong personality can even hope to control the demon and let them think of things besides blood and..." Angel cleared his throat. "Up until now Buffy's soul and personality have been able to cage her demon. But now, the demon's out. It's found a crack in her cage and it's going to fight and pull and tear until there's no more cage left."

"What happens when there's no more cage left?" Faith asked with a quiver of fear in her voice.

"All hell breaks loose." Angel said seriously.

* * *

Woo hoo! I got the next chapter done...this means only three more installments left! Soooo keep the reviews coming!


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I just wanted to apologize again for my complete lack of updates. My muse deserted me. And it finally came back the other day. I only have one more chapter (probably a long one) and an epilogue for this story so please stick with it and let me know what you think!

Chapter 12

Wesley and Andrea raced into the Summers house as if all the forces of hell were after. And after the prophecy that they just read, they really felt that they were. Joyce saw the expressions of panic on their face and quickly stopped stirring the soup that she was making.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Joyce asked.

"We've translated the prophecy. Where's Mr. Giles? We hurried to tell him its contents." Wesley said rapidly. He rubbed his face with his hand. So much was at stake.

"He's still at the hospital with the kids." Joyce said and when she took in the panicked expressions from the Watcher's she felt a shiver of panic lace through her. "But Spike brought Buffy back. They're upstairs." Joyce frowned as she remembered the talk she had with her daughter. Her semi-evil daughter. It was not really the way that she imagined telling Buffy that she was pregnant.

"He found her?" Andrea asked. "Good." She breathed a sigh of relief, but it was only short lived when she realized that Buffy was close to becoming evil and that an unsouled vampire was the only means of preventing her moral decline.

"Yes, well. We should tell them what we found." Wesley said and began to climb the stairs, with Andrea close behind.

"I wouldn't go up there if I were you." Joyce calls out to them. Wesley and Andrea stop.

"Why ever not?" Wesley asks as his foot hits the first step.

"Buffy's…" Joyce trails off for a moment wondering how to put it. "Not quite her self right now." Wesley smiles at her and pats her hand.

"It's alright, Joyce. Andrea and I have been trained by the Watcher's council to be able to deal with anything that vampires can throw at us."

"If you're sure." Joyce still looks at the two skeptically but Wesley's smile merely broadens.

"Very." Wesley says and resumes his climb up the steps. Andrea gives Joyce a half smile and follows behind Wesley.

Buffy smiled as she heard the Watcher's conversation on the stairs. _Wesley_ thinks that he can handle her now? He couldn't even handle her when she was Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes-Slayer. Wesley and Andrea enter the room cautiously and see Buffy chained to the bed with Spike nowhere in sight.

"Where did Spike go?" Andrea asks and Buffy smiles as she thinks of her mate.

"He went to find a photo album."

"An album?" Wesley asks in disbelief. Buffy growls at the tone he uses when talking about her mate.

"Yes." She answers coldly her smile disappearing. She looks at the two watchers carefully and then an evil grin begins to form on her face. She shifts on the bed so that her chains rattle a bit and Wesley looks at her surprised. Buffy smirks. "Do you actually think that you would be alive if I weren't chained up?"

"Buffy, we came to tell you about the prophecy-" Andrea begins.

"Prophecy? Who cares about a rotting piece of parchment?" Buffy laughs a bit maniacally. Wesley and Andrea exchange startled glances. "Oh, you thought that just because you get off reading from dead, decaying paper written in ancient languages…" She looked at Andrea and inhaled deeply while licking her upper lip sensuously with her tongue. Andrea blushed. "Ohhh do it again." Buffy purred. "All your blood rushing to the surface…"

"That's enough!" Wesley yelled and Buffy laughed again at him while Andrea inched slightly away from where Buffy was chained. Buffy shook her chains again.

"Oh, don't be like that. We're all friends here." With a swift look at Wesley, Buffy put on a mock innocent face. "Well at least the kind of friends who betray each other every now again. I figure now it's my turn." Wesley's face turned pale and Andrea took his hand.

"Listen. We've decoded the prophecy-" Buffy opened her mouth again and Andrea whipped a cross off the desk behind and pushed it towards Buffy's face. "No interruptions please." She said coldly as Buffy recoiled from the cross. A first for her and that fact alone made Andrea's hand quiver slightly. "The prophecy says that a turned Slayer can be a powerful force of good in the world. As long as they are able to master their demon."

"Master my demon?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"Yes." Wesley continued as he gained back his confidence. "You see, up until now your soul was retained thanks to you being a slayer. Now your demon is becoming stronger and it is actually in the process of expelling your soul from your body."

"That was a prophecy?" Buffy asked in disbelief. "You guys seriously need to rework your definition of that word. Because it sucks."

"Well it wasn't really a prophecy so much as a-a-an explanation about turned-"  
"Yeah yeah yeah. And this interests me why?" Buffy asked as she reclined on the bed.

"Well you see," Andrea continued. "If your soul is expelled then you will be eternally damned and not be able to go to heaven and receive your-" She looked down at the paper full of scrawling and smudges "your eternal reward. If you give in and kill for pleasure you will become a force of evil that would be inconceivable and possibly tip the balance of power…" Andrea trailed off as Buffy began to laugh.

"Eternal reward?" Buffy's laugh became louder. "Are you kidding? I'm a vampire. I'm pretty sure that heaven has a 'no vampires allowed' policy." She rattled her chains again and all mirth quickly disappeared from her face. "Quit being stupid and get out of here. Unless you want to open up a vein for me." She looked behind them where Spike had appeared in the door behind them. "I'm hungry." She pouted.

Spike gestured for the two watchers to leave them alone and they quickly left the room giving him slightly suspicious looks. Spike cursed under his breathe. They still didn't completely trust him. He looked back at Buffy who was still in her human face and gazing at him lovingly.

"We can kill them if you want." She offers and Spike chuckles as he walks back over to the bed with their "wedding" album in his hands.

"Thanks for the offer pet." He sits down beside her and flips open the album. "But I think that you might regret it." He gazes at a picture of Buffy coming down the stairs in her dress with her hair done up.

"But just think of it Spike. We could go out the window and hunt for Chamers together. Smell his fear as we chase him through the streets and feel his bones crunch and break as we tear at him and kill him. Then we can come back here and-"

"Stop." Spike says sharply. Breathing hard as he begins to feel aroused by the violence she's painting. "Stop." He takes deep breath and gazes at her while brushing a piece of hair back from her forehead. "I don't want you to be damned, love." He whispers to her. Buffy pulled away from his touch and turned away from him.

"You only love me when I'm a goody-goody." She says and he can hear the tears in her voice. Spike puts the album aside and spoons up behind her.

"That's not true pet." He kisses her head and smiles, as she can't repress the whimper of pleasure from his actions. "I love your strength and your passion and your wit. I'm just afraid that this will change all that. That maybe without your soul, you wouldn't be you…" Buffy turned to face him as his voice faded away.

"I'll always love you." She whispers to him and Spike lowers his eyes. Buffy scooted over on the bed and kisses Spike softly. "Always." Buffy reiterates.

"I'll always love you too." Buffy smiles at him. "But I miss your compassion sweet." He says and caresses her neck as she frowns. "Your sense of duty to those you love." Her eyes close as he talks to her. "I'll miss those things. But I'll always love you pet."

Buffy opens her mouth to answer but is stopped by a sudden and intense shaking. Spike looks at her panicked. He has to get them to the doorway. Spike takes the key to her manacles out of his pocket and unchains her as the shaking becomes even more brutal. Buffy's bookcase falls over and knocks on top of the couple on the bed. Buffy gasps as Spike's weight completely crushes her. He's unconscious. Then, as suddenly as the shaking starts, it stops.

Buffy whimpers for a moment and when Spike fails to wake up, she manages to squirm out from underneath him and the bookcase. She throws the bookcase behind her where it lodges against the door. Buffy rolls Spike over and pats his cheek. Belatedly she realizes that as long as he's not dust he's ok, Buffy breathes a sigh of relief.

"Spike? Buffy?" Joyce calls from the other side of the door. "Are you two ok in there?" Buffy switches into games face and smiles evilly.

"Perfect." She says and exits through her window out into the night.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Cordelia hears the steady beep of the machines as they monitor Xander's life. They seem to slow down and she feels a new round of tears form behind her eyes. Suddenly the room begins to shake uncontrollably. She looks around the white sterile room and as the machines begin to fall and around them. She lets out a yell and jumps onto Xander's prone form.

Xander begins to glow and Cordelia grips him tighter until she is thrown from his body and lands hard on the flow. Cordelia yells for help, but her cries are not heard over the general chaos in the emergency ICU. As Xander reaches the top of the of the room, the shaking begins to intensify, then his body falls back to the bed. The earthquake stops as soon as his body touches the sheets. Scrambling up from the floor, Cordelia hears Xander groan.

"Where am I?" Xander says as he looks around the hospital room trying to figure out how he got there. The last thing that he remembered was walking to go to see Buffy.

"Xander?" Cordelia asks breathlessly. She cups his face in her hands and gazes at him tearfully. Xander gives her a confused smile and she jumps into his arms hugging him tightly. "I'm so glad you're alive!" She cries as she begins to cry out of happiness.

"Cordy! Cordy! Stop!" Xander laughs as she continues her assault. He's never seen her this affectionate before. Suddenly, Cordelia stops and sits back slightly so she can look him in the eyes.

"I love you." She says and Xander's eyes widen comically. He starts to speak but she stops him. "No. I was a fool to not tell you sooner and if you'll still have me…" She begins to twist the engagement ring on her finger self-consciously. "I do want to marry you."

"Cordy, don't marry me just to make me happy." Xander says, even though it pained him to do so. "I want to stay in Sunnydale and I know that you want to move on, live in a big city. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I do understand your point of view."

"I always thought that too. But after the gunshot, I just realized that you're more important to me than becoming an actress or a fashion designer. I want to be with you and if you want to live here, then so do I. And I can still be a designer. I may not be as well known, but I can still do it." She said determinedly. Xander smiles and strokes her hair.

"That sounds perfect." Xander says and then pauses. "Cordy I just have one question for you."

"Yeah?"

"What gunshot?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

As Faith ran off after a vampire, Kennedy glanced at Angel out of the corner of her eye. His face was scrunched up in a scowl and he seemed to be…sniffing the air. Kennedy raised an eyebrow in question. Angel looked around the cemetery impatiently.

"How are you sensing for Buffy?" Kennedy asked Angel when she finally got too impatient with his silence.

"Sire/Childe bond." Angel answered her shortly and his brow furrowed further in concentration as Faith ran back and joined the two, wiping the dust from her hands.

"Let me tell you again how creepy I think that is." She said and made an 'ewww' face at him. Angel gave her a nasty look and turned to Kennedy.

"Basically I can sense when she's near, when she's feeling a strong emotion. Usually I close it off because of her feelings towards her because, well…"

"Because of Spike." Kennedy supplied and Faith rolled her eyes.

"Yep. Sir Broods-A-Lot over there doesn't like to even feel reflected happiness." Faith smiles and her eyes narrow as she spots another vamp. "I got this one too." She says with a laugh and winks at Kennedy. Angel gives a little chuckle. And Kennedy looks at him in surprise.

"I may be 'Sir Broods-A-Lot', but I can still find her antics amusing." Angel explains as he sits on a tombstone and gestures for Kennedy to sit next to him. She is a little reluctant at first but eventually sits down as a second vampire joins the first and Faith begins to get into the fight. They're both poised to jump in should she need the help, but realize that Faith can handle it for now.

"I really appreciate her friendship." Kennedy says to Angel and he nods in agreement.

"Me too." He gives her a wry grin. "I know that sounds weird coming from the Scourge of Europe and referring to a slayer, but she really helps me put things in perspective."

"Yeah. I know what you mean." Kennedy pauses and turns away from Angel pretending to watch Faith fight, but really keeping Angel out of the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry I was so rude to you when I first met you. I was-" Kennedy's voice cuts off and she looks directly at Angel. "Vampires killed my entire family right after I was called." Angel put his hand on her shoulder and Kennedy stiffened but didn't move away. "I had spent the night at my watcher's house after a rigorous training session and when I came home the next day…they were all…I…it just…it was…" Angel put his arm around her and Kennedy sniffles a little but manages to pull herself together. "I took out on you, on all three of you really and-"  
"It's ok. You don't have to apologize. I understand." Angel says and Kennedy gives him a grateful look. The both look back at Faith who just finishes staking the last vamp. She notices the tears in Kennedy's eyes and gives Angel a look.

"Well if you two are going to-" But Faith's joke is cut off as the earth begins to shake. They all look at each other worried as they see the earth roll and pitch like the ocean. Tombs are torn up and the foundations of mausoleums begin to crack. As the rumbling builds all three are flung to the ground. The shaking stops and the earth flattens out. The three warriors look at each other apprehensively. That couldn't have been natural.

"What was that?" Faith asks.

"No idea." Kennedy says as she slowly gets up and brushes off her clothes.

"We need to get downtown." Angel says and begins to walk towards the town. Kennedy and Angel exchange a look and follow him.

"Shouldn't we continue looking for the Buffy?" Faith asks.

"If her demon is really out of control, after that earthquake, she'll head downtown." Angel replies continuing his quick pace to the town center.

"How do you know?" Kennedy asks and when Faith and Angel both give her a look she gives them a sheepish smile. "Right."

"Spike's probably found her by now anyway. Their mating bond is much stronger than my bond with her." They reached the town quickly and looked around at the chaos. They could hear windows shattering and people screaming in the distance. All three of them gaze at the town for a moment before they give each other serious looks. "Be careful." And the three of them run into the town, knowing tonight could be their last.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Chamers smiled as a man beside him as he threw a bowling ball through the window of a store. A laugh comes out of his mouth before he can stop it and he pulls his trusty gun out of his pocket. And shoots the man with the bowling ball.

No one even spares him a glance as he moves on to another part of town. What a town, this Sunnydale. He can kill someone in plain view of a crowd and no one bothers to stop him.

He hears a scream and turns towards it intent on more violence. Now all he has to do is wait. Wait for that bitch Slayer to come to him. He'll get his revenge on her, on the world. All those years of working at the Council to prevent the world from ending, saving people, doing the right thing. And what for? To be kicked out and sentenced to death? By some pretentious upstarts who can't see the bigger picture. No, he won't go out that way. She may kill him, but he'll have the last laugh. Once she kills him, she seals the fate of the rest of the world.

AN: Don't worry Angel and Kennedy will NOT be getting together in the couple-y sense. Repeat- will NOT! I actually haven't fully decided about Angel's relationship future. Hope that you are enjoying this story and please review!


	13. Chapter 13

Ok...so it's been almost a year since i updated. I am so sorry! There were a lot of things going on in real life that made it really hard for me to keep up with the story. So i apologize and will try my best to finish up this story as soon as possible. But i will say that there is only one more chapter (epilouge) after this one. So if you're still reading...i love you! and thanks!

CHAPTER 13

Oz rushed over to where Willow had fallen after the spell had ended. Her eyes were closed and she appeared not be breathing. But before Oz could start to panic Willow's eyes shot open and she took a deep breath sitting up abruptly.

"What? How?" Willow looked around the hospital in shock. "I did all this?" She asked looking at Oz surprised. She had no idea that the spell to save Xander would be so destructive.

"Willow…" Oz began but he didn't know what to say. This is probably the most powerful magic that she's ever done…not mention the fact that she froze him and Giles so they couldn't move. That wasn't something he really wanted to repeat.

"Giles! I'm so sorry!" Willow said as Giles walked over to them.

"I had no idea you had this much power." Giles muttered.

"I'm going to go to England." Willow said watching as a people were pulled out from under the rubble unconscious. "I'm going to go and get trained so that this never happens again." She looked up at Giles with tears in her eyes.

"Are you sure you want that Willow? To go to England?" At the furious look Oz gave him, Giles took a step back. "I mean I'm glad that you're deciding to get training…"  
"I want to stay here, Giles. In Sunnydale. You all are my family. It'll be hard to leave you guys, but look around! I can't let this happen again."

"You shouldn't do magic anymore." Oz said in a quietly serious voice. Willow looked at him hurt. "The power is too much for you."

Willow snapped her hurt turning into anger. "You know I could use some of the support that you gave her when she was turned! Or am I just weak and silly Willow and not strong enough to handle anything…"

"Willow! Oz! Giles!" Cordelia yelled coming out of Xander's room…holding Xander's hand. "I don't know what you did, but it worked!"

"Wow! Look at this place." Xander said taking in the rubble and people running about panicked.

"I-" Willow said but was stunned silent by Cordelia hugging her.

"I don't care! You're brilliant!" The usually standoff-ish cheerleader said.

"Er- Maybe we should go." Xander said as a nurse caught sight of him and gasped.

"Excellent idea." Giles said and they left the hospital with Giles leading the way.

&&&&&&&

Buffy sniffed the air and grinned. She looked around at the chaos that surrounded her. It was fabulous. She could feel the screams of the people calling to her demon and for once she wanted to give into it. To be truly free. She pushed that feeling aside for a moment, refocusing on her original reason for coming out. Revenge. Something inside of her knew that Chamers would be out here, downtown, tonight and she would find him and rip him apart. Then she would return and sate her demon with the blood of the innocent.

"Chamers!" Buffy yelled spotting him raising gun in the direction of a boy from her class.

"Ahhh so you've found me at last. I beginning to think that I would have to go and visit your pathetic little friends at the hospital and finish the job that I started." He laughed maliciously as Buffy growled and vamped out.

"This ends now!" She shouted and leapt at him, easily grabbing him by the shoulder and spinning him around. She was about to sink her fangs into his neck, not fully registering that he wasn't fighting back when a voice made her pause.

"Pet." Spike called to her and Buffy looked up at him with a wicked smile.

"You're awake." She pulled her head away from Chamers and gave Spike a seductive look. "I'm glad. I didn't really want you to miss out on all the fun."  
"Buffy. You don't really want to do this." Spike said taking a step closer to her.

"Oh no Spike. I really do." She said and rolled her eyes. After a moment pause she looked up at him again. "We could kill him together you know. Wouldn't that be fun? Sort of like we're starting our vampire life together." Buffy's smiled widened when Spike shifted into game face at the prospect of what she was offering.

"We could do that." Spike said and glanced at Chamers, frowning when he registered the man's lack of struggle as they casually discussed his death. "But what about the life that we already have here? Don't you like it, pet?"

"I guess." Buffy said a bit petulantly. Her grip loosened on Chamers and the man made a disgusted noise before Spike's hand clamped down on him and then he began to struggle anew.

"I'll kill him for you pet." Spike said and smirked at Chamers as the man now began to try to get away earnestly.

"You can't!" He gasped looking terrified at Spike's demon.

"Sure I can mate." Spike replied. "I hear it's just like riding a bike." He laughed and Chamers struggled again. "So I think that was your plan. You just wanted my girl over there to go crazy, eh? Make the whole world suffer because your boss was a pathetic git?"

"Let go of me you filthy demon." Chamers spat out. Spike laughed.

"So sorry to spoil your fun you worthless git!" And he lowered his head to Chamers throat, getting ready to sink his fangs in and kill the man who had caused his mate so much pain.

Buffy watched as though in slow motion as Spike and Chamers spoke. So the whole reason her father was dead was so that she would give into her demon and become a force of evil in the world? She felt weak at the realization that if not for Spike and the others, Chamers would have succeeded. 'Andrea was right.' Buffy thought to herself. Even if it was a goody-goody answer it really was doing the things that were most difficult, that really tested you, which made it worthwhile. Spike's fangs pricked Chamers' throat and Buffy had a sinking sensation in her heart.

"Spike. Stop." She said in a perfectly calm voice. Spike raised his head and looked at her surprised.

"Pet, you don't mean…"

"No. I don't want to kill him anymore." She glared at Chamers. "I mean I really sort of do want to kill him but I won't." She looked back at Spike. "But you can't either."

"Buffy he hurt you. He killed your father, might have killed your mate." He looked deep into her eyes. "Let me kill him, luv." Chamers struggled but Spike's grip was like iron.

"Buffy! Spike!" Faith yelled as she, Kennedy, and Angel spotted the pair. Buffy glanced back at them.

"We're not here to execute the guilty Spike. I'm supposed to protect the innocent, not execute the guilty. And even though he's far from innocent, there are ways, legal ways that he can be dealt with."

"But luv…"  
"Spike. If I let you kill him, where does it stop? You can't just kill everyone who irritates me."

"I would though." Spike said earnestly and she gave him a small smile.

"I know." She replied.

"You're all pathetic!" Chamers yelled at them. He continued to yell abuse at them but the five of them basically ignored him.

"So no killing Chamers?" Faith asked looking between the two mated vampires.

"Nope." Buffy said and Faith gave Buffy a smile.

"It's nice to have you back, B." Faith said and Buffy grinned as Faith gave her a hug.

"Sorry I hit you." Buffy said quietly but before Faith could say anything else, Kennedy walked over to Chamers and hit him over the head…hard. Everyone stared at her.

"What?" She asked as Spike passed the unconscious Chamers to Angel. "I didn't kill him. "He's not dead…but at least he's quiet." The others all laughed and Buffy walked over to Spike who embraced her. They began their walk back to the Summers' home. Hopefully Andrea and Giles would have a plan to send Chamers back to the new Watcher's Council.

&&&&&&&

"I was shot?" Xander said in confusion as he and Cordelia sat on the couch in the Summers home. Giles and Joyce were talking in low concerned voices over by the fireplace as Andrea and Wesley flipped through books hoping that they could find a way to reverse the affects if Buffy found and killed Chamers.

"You were. You pushed me out of the way…and then…" Cordelia trailed off as Xander put an arm around her.

"It's ok Cordy. It's just a little weird to hear that I was shot." He chuckled and Cordelia gave him a watery smile.

"I've never been that afraid before." She blinked. "Even when you guys used me as bait." They shared a laugh.

"What about the ring?" Xander asked in a low voice and Cordy twisted it around her finger nervously. After a moment she answered.

"I saw you there, lying in a pool of you own blood…all I could think of was that I never told you that I loved you. And I found the ring in your bag…they wouldn't let me in until I put it on. I didn't know if you still wanted to give it to me. But I knew what my answer would be…"

"What would it be?" Xander asked taking her hand in his own.

"You know what it would be." She said quietly.

"I'm not a rich man Cordy, and I probably never will be. But I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?"

"On one condition." Cordelia said and he gave an exasperated look. "Only if we stay in Sunnydale."

"Really?" Xander asked with a smile.

"Really." Cordy said decisively. They shared a tender kiss before Xander stood up, pulling Cordy with him.

"We're engaged!" He called out and the others all stopped what they were doing to offer the young couple their congratulations.

"I can't believe that you're getting married!" Willow said happily, she paused. "To Cordelia!" they both chuckled.

"You'll be next Wills!" Xander said grinning happily. Willow hid a grimace as she looked over at Oz who was nodding at something Cordelia was saying.

"I don't think so." She muttered but Xander didn't hear her as he was busy being congratulated by Andrea and Wesley.

Suddenly they were interrupted by the door to the Summers house bursting open and Spike, Buffy, Faith, and Kennedy entered, followed by Angel carrying a passed out Chamers. The room sank into silence.

"Buffy?" Joyce asked hesitantly still remembering their conversation from earlier that night.

"Mom? I am so sorry." Buffy said and lowered her head wincing at the things she said to her mother.

"It's ok darling." Joyce said and walked over to her daughter and hugged her. Buffy hugged her back hesitantly at first, but soon more happily as she realizes that no one is mad at her or judging her…they all just seemed relieved that she back to normal.

"Er…not to sound stupid, but since I was shot and didn't know it…did I miss something?" Xander asked taking in the relieved looks on the other's faces. Wesley and Andrea quickly filled in the four teens what they had discovered while they were at the hospital. Giles frowned having heard it from Joyce earlier.

"That bastard!" Cordelia yelled and went over and began kicking Chamers, who was actually waking up at that point. A well placed kick from her pointy shoe knocked him out again.

"That's my girl." Xander said with a grin but then winced when she kicked Chamers in the balls. "That's enough now Cordy." She kicked him one more time before turning to look at the others who were looking at her gape mouthed.

"Remind me never to get on her bad side." Kennedy deadpanned and they all laughed a bit before going to get the manacles to lock Chamers up.

"So what are we going to do with him?" Joyce asked.

"We were sort of thinking that we should send him back to England. To the new Council." Faith said hesitantly.

"That sounds like an excellent idea." Andrea said. "I think that I was due to give a report there on Kennedy's progress and since it seems like you all are getting along so well, I think that I could take care of that."  
"It might be too dangerous for you to go alone." Wesley said concerned. Andrea gave him a light glare but conceded his point.

"I'll go." Willow said quietly, but everyone heard her.

"What? Willow?" Buffy asked surprised.

"I made that earthquake." Willow said sheepishly and Buffy and the others who didn't know about it already looked at her in surprise. "I need to go to England and learn how to channel my magic. Learn how to control it." Oz walked out of the room and everybody looked around feeling awkward for a moment.

"Wills. We'll miss you." Buffy said and went to give her friend a hug. "If you think that this is best."

"I do Buffy. I really do." Willow replied earnestly and the conversation turned once again to Xander and Cordelia's engagement with the five who had missed it now offering their heartfelt congratulations. Willow slipped away to the back porch where Oz was sitting quietly.

"So you're going to go." He said without turning around.

"I am." Willow said sitting down next to him.

"I don't understand. You don't need to learn to control the magic. You can just stop Willow."

"I can't Oz. The magic is a part of me. I might have never started if I didn't meet and become friends with Buffy, but I'm glad I did. And now that I've learned it's there, I need to learn how to control it."

"I'll never understand that. To me…it seems like if you ignore it, it'll go away. And if I could do that with the wolf, then I would. In a heartbeat." He turned away from her and stared out into the back yard. Willow put a hand on his shoulder.

"The wolf is a part of you Oz. A big scary part of you, but a part of you. You can't just get rid of it, just like I can't get rid of my magic. But if there was a way for you to learn to control the wolf…"

"I would." He said. "But we'll never agree on this. Never." He said sadly. "I think we should break up."

"Oz." Willow said with a catch in her voice.

"Willow you need support now, if this is what you really want to do?"

"It is." Willow said adamantly.

"I can't offer you that support." He said and got up. He leaned over and kissed Willow on the forehead. "I'll miss you." Oz said before walking out of the backyard and out of Willow's life.

"Yeah." Willow said softly watching numbly as he walked away from her. She absently wiped her eyes, unsurprised by the tears she found falling down her face, even though she knew it was for the best.


	14. Epilogue

**AN: Well, it's finally here...I can't believe that it took me soooo long to get this published. I apologize for how long it took and I hope that you guys like it :) Thanks for all the support throughout the long, long process of writing this series and I hope that it was worth the wait! **

**PS- Thanks to Aremis Emerald Princess for you review...it really helped kick start me on this**

Epilogue

200 years later…

The night was dark, his clothes were dark, and the bundle that he was carrying was dark as well. No stars were shining in the sky, even the moon was hidden by the clouds. The streetlights were flickering, causing occasional flashes of light to illuminate the cemetery. The only thing that a passerby would be able to see of the man travelling through the tombstones at an inhumanly fast pace was a patch of blonde hair, glinting off the street light's irregular glow.

Spike raced through the cemetery, carrying a bundle in his arms. He paused for a moment looking over his shoulder and picked up his pace. Soon, he reached his destination, despite his limp, and managed to slam the door to the crypt shut. He adjusted his bundle carefully before laying it down on a sarcophagus. It was Buffy, still as beautiful as the day that she was turned. He smoothed her blonde hair off of her face and knelt at her side.

Buffy coughed and Spike took her hand in his. Internally, he groaned. She was warm…too warm for a vampire. Buffy's eyelids began to flutter and Spike moved closer to her, hearing her take several raspy breaths that she didn't need.

"Spike?" Buffy murmured and he leaned in to kiss her on the forehead.

"I'm here, pet." Spike replied instantly and leaned closer to her as she opened her eyes. He felt her clasp his hand.

"It'll be alright, love." Buffy said. But Spike merely choked out a sob of disbelief.

"Alright? How can you say that?" He leapt up and began to pace back and forth in the crypt. "That ruddy rogue Slayer goes and poisons you and you think it'll be alright?" He continued ranting for a while and Buffy watched, as he got more and more agitated. "…and then when Maggie offers to let you drink from her-" He gave a huff of disgust before kneeling down next to her. "Pet, why? Why won't you do it? What will I do without you?" Spike asked forlorn.

"Spike, you know why." Buffy said starting to sit up. Spike rushed to her side, taking off his coat and putting it under her to help prop her up. She took his hand in her own. "It's my time Spike, I've had a good run, but now it's my time." Spike tried to pull his hand away, but didn't have the heart to pull completely away from Buffy's weak grip.

"Buffy, pet. It doesn't have to be Maggie. I can get that rogue bitch and feed her to you. Or better yet, I can kill her and give her to you. Then you can live. We can go on as we have for the past several hundred years. It'll be great…"

"No Spike." Buffy said interrupting him.

"What? Why?" Spike asked, pulling out of his speech.

"The prophecy…" Buffy murmured weakly and Spike can only snort in response.

"I'm sick of that ruddy prophecy." He snapped and stood up to pace around the crypt once more. They're both silent for a while, Spike pacing and Buffy following him with her eyes. Suddenly, Spike turns with a fierce look in his eyes. "I'll see the sunrise without you pet."

"Spike. You can't- think of all the good you can do. What about Mela? And her kids?" Buffy gave him a tender smile and he moved over to her side once more, taking her hand in his and kissing the palm. "Maybe, maybe when it's all over…we'll be together again. In heaven." Spike started to scoff at her hope that he would get to heaven, but she interrupted him by putting her hand over his. "What other reward would I want, love? Nothing but you."

Before he can answer her, Buffy began to convulse. He can almost feel her agony and her groans of pain tear through him as though he had been poisoned as well.

"Tell me…" She started before swallowing hard.

"Tell you what, petal?" Spike asked pushing down his own tears.

"Remind me of the good times…" Spike managed to choke out a bit of a laugh.

"There were a lot of them…" He watched her face carefully as he began to talk to her of their friends- their first friends. He talked about Dawn's birth, Buffy's half-sister; about how excited Joyce and Giles were to have another daughter, even when she turned out to be an inter-dimensional "key" sought by a hell god.

Then he laughingly recalled Xander and Cordelia's wedding and how the whole town was silent the few days before the wedding and Cordelia's bridezilla freak-outs. He talked about how Willow returned to Sunnydale from her training in England strong and full of serenity that they had never imagined was even possible before. How she had met Tara in college and the two of them had set up a school for powerful young witches after they finished at UC Sunnydale. He talked about Faith and how her wild ways had never really been tamed resulting in the birth of her son, Billy. How they had raised Billy after Faith was killed in battle and how Billy eventually became a Watcher. He even talked about Angel and his work in LA and that their sire was going to be coming to visit in a fortnight…

But the longer he talked, the paler Buffy became. Spike choked as he started to talk about their friends who are around right now. Maggie. And Mela. Spike leaned down to kiss her, somehow knowing that this would be his last chance to do so.

"I love you, Buffy."

"I love you too, Spike." She whispered. "Try…please…just…"

"I will. Anything, pet. Don't-" But Spike couldn't continue; Buffy had crumbled to dust. Spike could barely think due to all the pain that suddenly exploded in his heart. He felt as though _he_ died and all he can do is howl in pain. Before he can even contemplate his next move, the door to the crypt burst open and in storms the rogue Slayer- Charlotte.

"Well, well, well. William the Bloody in tears and covered in dust. Looks like that poison worked out even better than I thought it would."

At the sight of her smirk and the victorious glint her eyes, Spike lost the tenuous grip he had on his control. He switched into game face and attacked. He could tell that she was startled by the force of his attack, but he wasn't. He knew that his pain, his rage would give him extra power in his attack, no matter his injuries. He did watch in satisfaction as her smug grin began to fade and she had to struggle to fight back. But he knew that he would win. It wouldn't matter how many tricks she thought that she knew, she was no match for Spike on a normal day and today was no normal day. She was the bitch who killed his mate.

Soon, Spike got the upper hand and sunk his fangs deep and painfully into her neck. As he took his first pull of her powerful Slayer blood, he can't help but recall the promise he made to Buffy all those years ago. It's like a snapshot of his life that he can't help but watch:

_Dawn getting married in a night ceremony so that he and Buffy could attend…_

_Being named godparents to Xander and Cordy's firstborn, Jesse…_

_Buffy sending Chamers to the Council for justice…_

At that last flash, Spike ripped his mouth away from Charlotte's throat and threw her body across the crypt in a panic. He ran his hands through his hair, looking over to the spot where Buffy died mere moments ago; the dust that is still sitting on the sarcophagus and the promise that he made only moments ago…he is relieved to hear that the Slayer's heart is still beating. After what seems like an eternity, but is really just a few moments, she stands up with a hand pressed into the bloody wounds on her neck. She looks over at Spike in disbelief.

"Why didn't you kill me?" She asked at last.

"I'm supposed to be a bloody white hat- the white hats don't act like executioners. We're not meant to kill for revenge." Spike replied after a long silent pause. She doesn't say anything, but continued to look at him with wide eyes. For a moment, Spike thought she might be regretting what she did- turning on them and killing Buffy. However, that moment is cut off by the sounds outside the crypt. The Council is coming to get the rouge slayer to put her on trial. They both know that it will be a short trial.

"Just go ahead and do it! Before they get here!" She practically begged Spike to end her. She's still a little weak from blood lose but knows that she doesn't want to end up in the Council jail, just sitting and waiting for it to end. It's the waiting that would really torture her.

"I won't decide your fate, you bloody bitch." Spike growled at her. "There's been enough death today." He glanced over to where Buffy's ashes still lay and in that moment, the door burst open and Maggie, the other slayer, ran into the room with various Watchers and Council members as her back-up.

Maggie paused as she looks around the crypt. Charlotte's bloody hand on her throat, Spike's tear stained face and the ashes scattered across the floor. She can feel her eyes tear up. "Buffy?" She asked and Spike shook his head, moving over to her. Buffy and he had raised Maggie from a young age after her entire family had been killed. They were the only parents that Maggie had known. As went to her, he didn't even think that he had turned his back to Charlotte. He reached out to Maggie and the last thing he felt was a stake in his back. He had one moment to look at Maggie in surprise before he shattered into dust.

"One more death after all." Charlotte said to the pile of ashes at her feet. Maggie gave a startled yell of surprise before moving to Charlotte and knocking her out with her stake. Some of the Council operatives take the rogue slayer out of the crypt before any other action can be taken. On their way out the door, some of them give the tearful Maggie a compassionate glance. Many of them had been trained by Buffy and Spike and were similarly dismayed by their deaths.

"They fought for so long and helped me out of more trouble than I care to remember." Maggie said at last turning to her Watcher Mela, a descendant of Dawn. "Do you think that they're in Heaven?" Maggie asked like a shy child. Mela wiped the tears out of her own eyes before turning to rest her hand on Maggie's shoulder.

"They were my family. Buffy was my great-great-great-grandmother's sister. So I have to believe that they are." She responded after collecting herself for a moment. Putting her arm around the young slayer, she led her at out of the crypt. Tonight, their side suffered a great loss. But, they still had work to do.

Buffy's dancing at the Bronze. Willow and Xander are dancing with her and eventually, Cordy comes over and slides into Xander's arms.

Buffy and Willow move over to the side and Tara comes over to dance with them. Buffy can feel someone watching her and she feels a bit hunted. She's the prey in someone else's game.

A warm hand comes down on her shoulder and she spins around. Her eyes widen in surprise as Spike pulls her into his arms and she can feel his heart beating. Buffy snuggles closer.

Meanwhile, over at a table, Giles and Joyce sit holding hands. They both seem to notice Buffy and Spike on the dance floor together at the same time; they smile.

**AN: I know that I have no right to ask- but please review and let me know what you think!**


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